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Giants win third straight behind Beckham, Manning

By WTOP Staff

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Eli Manning has a new option for his improving West Coast offense and the New York Giants are starting to get a new attitude.

That left-over feeling of ‘what can go wrong next’ from last season is being replaced with that belief that somehow, someone is going to make a play to win the game.

In the 30-20 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons (2-3) on Sunday, the Giants (3-2) had plenty of heroes in winning their third straight game.

The most noticeable was first-round draft pick Odell Beckham Jr., who caught a go-ahead touchdown pass from Manning early in the fourth quarter. Fellow rookie Andre Williams helped ignite the comeback from a 10-point second-half deficit with a 3-yard touchdown run, while Manning led four scoring drives and the defense shut down the Falcons in the second half.

“I think it says a lot about our team. I think it says that we’re resilient, we’re going to play all fourth quarters, and we’re not going to wait for things to get too rough for us to pick it up,” said safety Antrel Rolle, whose missed tackle allowed Atlanta to take a 20-10 third-quarter lead on a 74-yard scoring pass from Matt Ryan to Antone Smith. “We hung in there for the first half without playing our best ball, and not even close to it. In the second half, I think we played lights out.”

Beckham was the story. He missed all five preseason games and the first four regular-season contests with a hamstring injury.

Every week coach Tom Coughlin answered endless questions about when Beckham would either practice or play. His debut finally came Sunday and he responded by drawing a pass interference call to set up Williams’ TD and his 15-yard go-ahead TD catch with 10:02 to play. It was Manning’s second touchdown pass of the game.

“To be out this long and to have to deal with the adversity I have had, I just I have to thank God for giving me the opportunity to play and for allowing me to score in my first game,” Beckham said.

Ryan threw for 316 yards and a touchdown playing behind a banged-up offensive line that held up until the very end. Atlanta dropped its second straight since dominating Tampa Bay 56-14 on Sept. 18.

Falcons coach Mike Smith refused to blame the team’s injuries or his players for losing a 10-point lead.

“It’s not anybody’s fault but mine,” he said. “It is my responsibility as the head coach, ultimately. And I will, and do, take responsibility for that. It is not about those players.”

Fellow receiver Victor Cruz was excited after Beckham’s first game.

“He is a guy who can change the complexion of our offense and wide receiving corps, and make us that much better,” Cruz said. “It’s big for us to get him back and going in the right direction.”

Atlanta never threatened after Beckham’s score, and Brown iced the game with his second and third field goals.

Here’s some things we learned from the Giants’ win over the Falcons:

ROOKIES READY: Beckham isn’t the only rookie on the Giants making a contribution. Second-round pick Weston Richburg has been starting at left guard since the start of the season and Williams, the fourth-round pick, gained 65 yards on 20 carries. Williams appears to have moved into the starting lineup with Rashad Jennings seemingly iffy after spraining his knee in the third quarter. Jennings does not believe the injury is serious but he will be evaluated on Monday.

DYNAMIC DUO: Ryan and receiver Julio Jones were outstanding despite playing with a makeshift offensive line. Knowing the Giants planned to test the unit, the Falcons resorted to getting rid of the ball quickly and it was almost enough to win. Ryan threw for 316 yards and a touchdown and Jones caught 11 passes for 105 yards to set up most of the Atlanta points.

OSI IS BACK: Osi Umenyiora could always deliver on the big stage and the former Giants star did it again, recording the Falcons’ only sack. He extended his arms and did a fly around to celebrate.

“I was just trying to help the team win,” said Umenyiora, who had 75 sacks in his nine seasons with the Giants. “Anything I can do to help this team win, I’m going to do because they deserve it. It’s a good team, good coaches, good owner — they deserve better than we’re doing right now.”

FALCONS’ ROAD WOES: The Falcons needs to turn it around on the road. They are 0-3 this season and 1-10 since the start of last season.

GIANTS DEFENSE: The Giants defense stepped up in the fourth quarter with the game on the line, holding the Falcons without a first down on two straight series after falling behind 20-10. The second ended with a fourth-down sack of Ryan at the Atlanta 19 by Johnathan Hankins, which set up the second of Josh Brown’s two field goals in the quarter. The Falcons only second-half score was a 74-yard catch and run by Antone Smith after Rolle missed a tackle on a swing pass. Take the play away and Atlanta did little in the final 30 minutes.

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

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Follow Tom Canavan on Twitter at www.twitter.com

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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