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Special teams doing big things for Eagles

By WTOP Staff

ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Placing heavy emphasis on special teams in the offseason and in practice has paid off for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Their special teams have already scored four touchdowns — all in the last three games. They’ve returned blocked punts for touchdowns two weeks in a row and they have TDs on kickoff and punt returns.

Those scores made a difference in a 3-point win over Washington and a 6-point win over St. Louis. Add in Cody Parkey’s 36-yard field goal to beat Indianapolis and the Eagles are 4-1 instead of 1-4 because of their special teams.

“The game is usually coming down to a possession or two,” coach Chip Kelly said. “The hidden yardage that can be found in the special teams game is something that I think you need to address because it’s the one play where you can drastically change field position one way or another, whether it be with a good return or whether it be with a great cover.”

The Eagles targeted players to improve their special teams in free agency, signing Chris Maragos away from defending Super Bowl champion Seattle and Bryan Braman from Houston. Trey Burton, another standout, was signed as a rookie free agent. James Casey and Brad Smith, two other key contributors, were signed last year.

Casey blocked the punt that Maragos returned 10 yards for a TD against the Rams. Burton blocked the punt that Smith recovered in the end zone for a TD against the 49ers. Darren Sproles, another offseason acquisition, had an 82-yard punt return for a score in San Francisco.

“It’s kind of a swagger thing on special teams where once some guys start making some plays, you want to go out there and make some plays,” Casey said. “Each player wants to go out there and do something special.”

The Eagles became the first team since Baltimore in 2002 to score TDs on a blocked punt in consecutive games. They also have three defensive touchdowns, giving them seven non-offensive TDs in the first five games. They’re the only team since 1970 with that many through five games.

“We don’t feel like it’s rare because we put a lot of work in,” Maragos said. “We have guys who expect to be great and expect to do good things and we work really hard in our technique and the things that we need to do.”

Kelly is known as an offensive mastermind with innovative ideas such as his fast-paced practices, up-tempo offense and using sports science to help players. But one thing often overlooked is the way Kelly incorporates special teams within a practice rather than holding those sessions before or after. The Eagles work on special teams during in at least two of their practice periods every day.

“It just makes sense to spend a lot of time on special teams and to make sure that you can get any advantage you can from a special teams standpoint,” Kelly said. “Some people practice at the beginning of practice. Some people practice at the end of practice. There’s a million different theories. Our practice format is what we set up when we were at Oregon and we are very, very similar to what we did there and that’s what we felt is the best way to do it.”

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp deserves much of the credit for his unit’s performance. The Eagles stress to players when they arrive for their first practice that the only way for a non-starter to make the team is to prove himself valuable on special teams.

“On a lot of teams where you have guys, maybe a starter, who has to play special teams and isn’t really into it because they know they have to go out on defense or offense, but we have a really special group of guys,” Casey said. “We have a lot of really good players who really take pride in it and work on it all week long. We know we are going to have a target on our back probably here on out. Teams will be giving us their best effort coming at us but at the same time we are going to keep going at them, too.”

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

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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi

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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