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Patriots’ defense looking to rebound from big loss

By WTOP Staff

MATTHEW CARROLL
Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — There weren’t too many bright spots for the New England Patriots’ defense during a 27-point blowout to Kansas City.

The fact that it occurred in a Monday night game is one small positive.

Kansas City’s 41-14 dismantling of the Patriots in front of a national audience left New England with a short week to prepare for its next opponent and mere hours to forget one of the more embarrassing losses in franchise history before shifting attention to the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals.

“It was a terrible loss for us, but at the same time, it was a short week, we had to move on,” Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “It’s not like it was Sunday and then we had an extra day to look at the film and had a whole day to really think about it. We had to move on fast to Cincinnati.”

So the Chiefs, officially, are in New England’s rearview mirror. Running back Jamaal Charles’ three touchdowns are a thing of the past. Quarterback Alex Smith missing on just six passes while dissecting New England’s secondary for 248 yards and three scores is a distant memory.

The Bengals (3-0), one of only two undefeated teams in the NFL, are foremost in the minds of the Patriots.

But their poor performance against Kansas City isn’t entirely a lost cause. New England’s defense knows precisely what went wrong, and is looking to build off those mistakes.

“When you can’t pinpoint what happened, you can’t make any corrections from that,” Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “For the most part, we see a lot of things that we do that we have no business doing; that we can fix. It’s fixable. We need to fix it to get better.

“That’s what good football teams do, they fix things and move forward. That’s where we’re at; we’re fixing them and we’re moving forward, and hopefully we fix them before Sunday.”

The likely return of suspended cornerback Brandon Browner will surely help, if only to contain the Bengals’ big receivers

The Patriots (2-2) signed the hard-hitting Pro Bowler during the offseason despite knowing he would miss the first four games of the season due to violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

“We’re excited to have him back. It’s been too long,” Revis said. “He brings a lot of physicality to our defense and we’re looking forward to that, for him to be aggressive.”

Browner probably will have to shake off some rust after missing the first four weeks of practice, but his height alone should be enough to counter that of Cincinnati wide receivers A.J. Green, who stands 6-foot-4, and the 6-2 Mohamed Sanu.

At 6-4, 221 pounds, Browner looks more like a receiver or linebacker than a member of the secondary.

“I don’t care who guys have at receiver, having Brandon out there will be nice,” safety Devin McCourty said. “He’s a bigger guy, a physical guy who lets his presence be known as soon as he steps on the field.

“It’ll be a big plus having him out there. He’s a veteran football player who’s been in tough situations, so he’ll be ready to go when he’s out there.”

New England will need all the help it can get to slow down Green, who has been quarterback Andy Dalton’s top weapon and deep threat since the two entered the league together in 2011.

Despite being hampered by an early season toe injury, Green has hauled in 12 catches for 233 yards and a touchdown, and he is coming off the best season of his four-year career.

The three-time Pro Bowler had 98 receptions for 1,426 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, and is a threat to score nearly every time he touches the ball.

“A.J. Green is one of the best receivers in the league,” Revis said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

New England’s defense had garnered plenty of early season respect, too, although that perception may have swayed slightly following the debacle against the Chiefs.

That was a long time ago to Revis, though.

“It was an embarrassment, yes it was, but at the same time, you’ve got to put it in the past,” he said. “We’ve got 12 more games left. If we can focus on those 12 more games, we can do what we need to do in those 12 games. It’s a 12-game season.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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