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ICYMI: NFC East matters; zero unbeatens; comebacks

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Pro Football Writer

Believe it or not, the NFC East might really matter again.

It’s certainly been a while.

That division is the only one in the NFL with two 4-1 clubs, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. Plus, it also includes the New York Giants, who have won three consecutive games to get to 3-2.

Two of the marquee games on next Sunday’s schedule involve teams from a group recently known as the “NFC Least” — the Cowboys are at the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and the Eagles host the Giants at night.

This Sunday, Tony Romo and Dez Bryant connected for the play of the day, a 37-yard jump-ball completion, to set up the winning field goal as Dallas beat Houston 20-17 in overtime. Philadelphia ran its total to five TDs on defense or special teams in the past two games while holding off St. Louis 34-28. And New York’s Eli Manning threw for two touchdowns while avoiding an interception in a 30-20 comeback victory over Atlanta.

The fourth member of the division, the Washington Redskins, fall into the category of “one of these is not like the others”: just 1-3 under rookie head coach Jay Gruden — with an injured Robert Griffin III and a turnover-prone Kirk Cousins at quarterback — heading into Monday night’s game against visiting Seattle.

In case you missed it, here are the other top topics after the NFL season’s fifth Sunday:

NO UNBEATENS: The Cardinals and Bengals both went from 3-0 to 3-1, and neither defeat was close, meaning each of the league’s 32 teams has at least one loss. You’d have to go all the way back to 1970 to find a season in which everyone had been beaten earlier — it happened by the end of Week 4 in 1970, according to STATS. On Sunday, Arizona lost to Peyton Manning and Denver 41-20, while Cincinnati lost to Tom Brady and New England 43-17.

CHOP BLOCK: Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was outraged by what he called “a blatant chop block” by Broncos Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas that left Arizona defensive end Calais Campbell sidelined with a strained MCL in his right knee. “I’ve been coaching for 37 years; it’s the dirtiest play I’ve seen,” Arians said. “It was a flat chop block and put him out of the game. I know John Fox, great coach and great guy. Somebody has got to answer to that. A fine isn’t going to do it, when he’s going to miss three or four weeks.”

MORE INJURIES: In addition to Campbell, the Cardinals lost quarterback Drew Stanton — as it is, the replacement for Carson Palmer — to a concussion after a hit from Von Miller. As usual, the list of significant injuries is long, and among those to keep tabs on in the coming days: Two dynamic members of Detroit’s offense each hurt an ankle, receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush; a trio of Jaguars running backs also each had an ankle problem, Toby Gerhart, Storm Johnson, and Jordan Todman; Giants running back Rashad Jennings sprained his knee; Bills cornerback Ron Brooks spent the night at the hospital after landing on his head in a scary collision during a punt return.

NO LEAD IS SAFE: More than half of Sunday’s nine early games — five — involved a team blowing a lead of 10 or more points and losing, highlighted by Tennessee wasting the largest home edge ever, 25 points, in what would become a 29-28 loss to the Browns. The Bears led the Panthers 21-7 before losing 31-24; the Falcons led the Giants 20-10 before losing 30-20; the Lions led the Bills 14-0 before losing 17-14; and the Buccaneers led the Saints 31-20 before losing 37-31.

QUESTIONABLE COACHING: Lowlights among coaching decisions included Atlanta’s Mike Smith going for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 29 with about 4 1/2 minutes left and down by seven points to the Giants (quarterback Matt Ryan got sacked); and Tennessee’s Ken Whisenhunt going for it and fourth-and-inches at his own 42 with 3:03 left (Charlie Whitehurst was stopped on a QB sneak).

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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Online:

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

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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