Skip to main content

Spiraling Jets fall to Manning, Broncos 31-17

By WTOP Staff

BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With five straight losses and a short week coming up, the New York Jets are spiraling out of control.

At least they weren’t embarrassed by the Denver Broncos on Sunday, falling 31-17 one week after a 31-0 rout at the hands of San Diego. Next up: the archrival Patriots in Foxborough.

No, it doesn’t get any easier for the Jets.

“It’s not about what people say,” defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said. “I felt like we fought hard the whole game. We’re behind a wall and I feel like we cracked that wall today. Hopefully we can break it come Thursday night.”

On Sunday, the rushing game and defense against the run were broken — odd because the Jets (1-5) ranked sixth in the league in both categories coming into the day. Third-year tailback Ronnie Hillman ran 24 times for 100 yards, by far his best showing in his first pro start. Rookie Juwan Thompson added 38 yards, which was 7 more than the entire Jets running game gained.

“One thing is, we have to run the football. I mean, we’re built to run,” coach Rex Ryan said. “I think we’ve just got to stay the course with it and see what happens.”

More discomforting might have been what the Broncos (4-1) did to New York’s strong rush defense. Although Peyton Manning threw for three touchdowns, he didn’t dominate the game. The way Denver was running the ball, he didn’t need to.

“From the way they were playing us, they didn’t think much of our running game coming in,” Manning said. “”They are kind of laughing at your running game when they drop the linebackers like that, put them outside in coverage on the receivers. Based on what we’ve been doing, that’s probably a valid philosophy.

“When there’s eight guys in coverage, it’s good to get the run game kind of going.”

The Jets know they’ll need to wake up from the funk quickly.

“We’re upset,” running back Chris Johnson said after gaining 9 yards on three carries. “We’re a better team than we’re showing.”

Manning connected with Julius Thomas twice and Demaryius Thomas once, leaving him two shy of Brett Favre’s career mark for passing TDs. Manning has 506 touchdown passes, and could tie or break Favre’s record next Sunday at home against San Francisco. He finished 22 of 33 for 237 yards — a far cry from last week’s performance against Arizona, when he passed for a career-high 479 yards with four TDs.

But Manning displayed his methodical best at times in his return to MetLife Stadium, where he and the Broncos were blown out by Seattle in the Super Bowl last February. And Demaryius Thomas finished with 10 catches for 124 yards.

Eric Decker’s 2-yard touchdown catch, his first against his former team, made it 24-17 with 7:56 left. The Jets had a chance to tie when they got the ball deep in their territory with less than a minute left. But after a sack put the ball at the 1, Geno Smith was intercepted by Aqib Talib, who returned it 22 yards for a sealing touchdown.

The struggling Smith, looking to keep his starting job, was 23 of 43 for 190 yards and touchdown passes to Jace Amaro and Decker. Amaro had 10 catches for 68 yards, while Decker finished with six for 54 yards.

The Broncos got going quickly, with Manning connecting with Demaryius Thomas for 54 yards on Denver’s first play from scrimmage. Brandon McManus then kicked a 37-yard field goal.

Dee Milliner, New York’s top cornerback, injured his right Achilles tendon during the field goal. Milliner pounded the turf in pain, and couldn’t put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field and straight into the locker room.

The Jets also lost starting left guard Brian Winters to a left leg injury, while Denver linebacker Danny Travathon left with a knee injury.

Manning scrambled away from pressure and hit Demaryius Thomas for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Broncos a 10-7 lead late in the second quarter.

The Broncos went 80 yards on nine plays on their next possession, capped by Manning’s perfectly placed 22-yard throw to Julius Thomas that made it 17-7 with 27 seconds left.

Julius Thomas screamed “It’s so easy!” after he caught his second TD pass from Manning midway through the third quarter. The drive was helped by a 26-yard run by Hillman, who fumbled at the end of the play, but the Broncos recovered. Sheldon Richardson also was called for a personal foul for unnecessary roughness that made it first-and-goal from the 4 one play before the touchdown.

Julius Thomas’ nine touchdown catches are the most by a tight end through his team’s first five games.

Amaro’s first NFL touchdown, a 2-yarder, gave New York a 7-3 lead. Amaro outleaped T.J. Ward in the left corner of the end zone to give the Jets their first lead since Week 2 at Green Bay.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and 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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote