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Bryant catch sends Cowboys over Texans 20-17 in OT

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dez Bryant turned Tony Romo’s oh-what-the-heck pass into the play that brushed aside a late-game meltdown from the Dallas Cowboys.

Bryant’s spectacular catch when Romo had to unload the ball to avoid a sack set up Dan Bailey’s 49-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cowboys bounced back to beat the Houston Texans 20-17 after giving up a 10-point lead in the last 3 minutes of regulation Sunday.

Romo had earlier escaped a sure sack by J.J. Watt to throw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams. He wasn’t trying to throw the ball away on the decisive play to Bryant, but was mostly ducking a blitzing D.J. Swearinger as he let the ball fly.

Bryant leapt as Johnathan Joseph bumped into him, and made a juggling catch while falling backward to the turf at the Houston 31 after the Texans punted on the first possession of the extra period.

“I was concerned when it first got out of there that it was going to be way out of bounds,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “It ought to get a good place in our memories in Cowboys history.”

Three plays later, Bailey answered a 53-yard miss on the final play of regulation that ended his franchise-record streak of 30 consecutive field goals made.

The Cowboys (4-1) won their fourth straight game for the first time since 2011 heading into a trip to Super Bowl champion Seattle, their only road game in a stretch of six games.

The Texans (3-2) rallied behind Arian Foster, who had 157 yards rushing and a tying 1-yard score with 41 seconds left in regulation.

“Football is a brutal game,” Watt said. “It’s brutal on your body. It’s brutal on your emotions. To fight back the way we did, to show that resilience, it was good to see. But at the end of the day, we lost the game.”

Things to consider after Dallas won a third straight game in the series since a stunning loss in Houston in that franchise’s first game in 2002:

ROMO MAGIC: In the third quarter, Romo, who threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns, had the best test so far for his back after surgery last December to repair a herniated disk.

He spun to his right as Watt closed in, then threw about as far as he could with more pressure coming. Williams had an easy catch in the end zone when Houston’s Kendrick Lewis fell at the goal line just before the ball arrived.

“Certainly it’s one for the ages with Romo,” coach Jason Garrett said. “There’s a handful of those he’s had throughout his career, and I think you can add that one to the list.”

TEXANS’ MAD DASH: Houston pulled even by converting a fourth down on a drive to Randy Bullock’s 29-yard field with 2:31 remaining, then got the ball back in just 32 seconds. They went 45 yards in four plays to Foster’s second touchdown.

Houston had just 86 yards total offense at halftime, but Foster had 117 rushing himself in the second half. He went 48 yards on consecutive plays, the latter from 15 to put Houston ahead 7-3 in the third quarter.

MURRAY STILL ROLLING: NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray overcame a first-quarter fumble for the fourth time in five games to get his fifth straight 100-yard game to start the season, breaking a franchise record he shared with Emmitt Smith (1995).

Jim Brown (six games in 1958) and O.J. Simpson (five in 1973 and 1975) are the only other NFL running backs to reach that mark. Murray, who had 136 yards on a career-high 31 carries, set another franchise record with 670 yards through five games.

WATT’S WHIFF: Watt came in with a league-high 16 quarterback hits, more than twice as many as any other player and more than 13 teams this season. But he had a mostly quiet day except for losing his grip on Romo when he had a free shot at him.

“Those are the type that weigh on you,” he said. “It’s frustrating as a player who is supposed to make plays. I should have made that play and I didn’t.”

WITTEN’S MILESTONE: Jason Witten helped set up Williams’ score with a 34-yard catch to join Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe as the only tight ends with 10,000 career yards receiving. He finished with 59 yards to put him at 10,014.

Gonzalez, who retired after last season, leads all tight ends with 15,127 yards. Sharpe had 10,060 from 1990 to 2003.

Witten needs one catch to be the first Dallas player with 900 for his career.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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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