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4-game skid puts season on brink for Rex, Jets

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The coach is blaming himself, the quarterback situation is a mess and the defense suddenly can’t stop anyone.

The New York Jets are 1-4, on a four-game skid and facing a season on the verge of spiraling out of control.

Oh, and up next: Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. After that? Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Both in a span of five days.

“Well, those are two guys and two teams that, obviously, you’d much rather face somebody else,” coach Rex Ryan said. “But, the fact that they are here and they are up, we better get better in a hurry. I think our team needs to make huge strides, huge improvements to see if we are up for this challenge.”

The season depends on it.

And maybe for Ryan, so does his job. Perhaps for quarterback Geno Smith, too.

“We’re not dead in the water,” Smith said. “We’ve still got a bunch of games left that we’ve got to go out there and play, and I feel confident in the guys that we can turn this thing around. But it’s going to take a good effort.

“I think we’ve got the guys to do it.”

But is Smith one of them?

The second-year quarterback is off to another rough start with six interceptions and two lost fumbles in five games. He has already been benched once for Michael Vick, sitting the entire second half of Sunday’s 31-0 drubbing in San Diego. But Ryan announced after the game that he’s sticking with Smith against the Broncos — despite calls for Vick to get a full game to see if he can spark a struggling offense.

“I think Geno will make some improvements,” Ryan said. “I think one of the improvements he needs to make, I think he needs to get back to using his legs.”

The Jets are taking a long, hard look at Smith, their second-round draft pick last year, to determine whether he’s the answer at quarterback or just another in a long line of would-be franchise quarterbacks who couldn’t cut it. Smith is coming off a miserable week in which he was fined $12,000 by the NFL for shouting an expletive at a fan after a game, bristling at suggestions that the Jets could be better off with Vick under center — and missing a meeting while going to a movie the night before the game against the Chargers because he mixed up times.

Then came the benching that some believed was inevitable since the day the Jets signed Vick in March. But Vick didn’t perform much better than Smith, so he’ll be back on the sideline while Smith starts.

“That’s our quarterback and we’re going to stick with him,” linebacker Calvin Pace said of Smith. “I think he’ll have some good days moving forward.”

Smith isn’t the only one who badly needs some of those.

As of Monday night, the Jets ranked tied for fifth in the NFL with 42 penalties — including 11 for 89 yards against the Chargers. They also had 11 in the season opener against Oakland, New York’s only victory.

“Those are some of the things that are just mind-boggling,” center Nick Mangold said. “It’s just a lack of focus and concentration.”

Linebacker Demario Davis was critical after the game, saying that the team as a whole needs to do a better job of preparing during the week and “we’re not practicing like a championship football team.”

Struggles in the red zone, on third down and in the passing game have also been glaring issues for the offense. So has the mediocre play of the defense, which has been disappointing despite being ranked No. 5 overall, based on yardage allowed.

The secondary has been a problem all season, particularly with the cornerback situation unsettled. The Jets have also given up five touchdown drives of 90 or more yards, including three against the Chargers.

“I know this kind of sounds like a broken record, but we have to find a way to get better,” Ryan said. “That’s an obvious statement, but it’s true.”

Ryan says he needs to be better coaching. But his roster is one that many believe general manager John Idzik didn’t adequately stock in the offseason despite the Jets being more than $20 million under the salary cap.

Furious finger pointing could come with another loss or two, along with whispers about a dividing locker room. Ryan and the players insist that won’t happen. Pace thinks he knows the best way to prevent it.

“Don’t listen to you guys,” he said, referring to the media. “That’s what it is: Don’t listen to you guys. At this point in time, only the people in the locker room matter. The media, the fans, they’re not contributing to what’s going on right now.

“We’ve got to fix this. I know we will.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.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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