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Zimmer upset with Vikings after 17-3 loss to Lions

By WTOP Staff

JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mike Zimmer’s blunt delivery of hard truths has sometimes been blamed for his inability to land a head coaching job sooner.

When the Minnesota Vikings hired him to take over before this season, Zimmer said his personality wouldn’t change. He backed that up Sunday with some straight talk about his team after a woeful home loss to division rival Detroit.

Teddy Bridgewater was sacked eight times and threw three interceptions in Minnesota’s 17-3 defeat to the Lions, and afterward Zimmer promised a stricter approach coming off of two straight embarrassing performances in division games.

“I’m the boss,” Zimmer said. “Their job is to please me. Not the other way around.”

The Vikings (2-4) were coming off a 42-10 loss at Green Bay and had 10 days to prepare for the Lions (4-2). But Zimmer said after the game that while he was pleased with the way the team practiced, he was upset by several players being late for team meetings and for treatment of injuries.

“I’m just saying some of the things we’re doing lead to undisciplined play,” Zimmer said. “We’ve got to change a lot of these things. I had to fine a lot more guys this week for whatever reason, missing meeting, late to a meeting, whatever. I’m not going to let them slide. I’m going to keep pounding my head and like I told them, the fines are going to start going to the max now. I’m tired of it.”

Bridgewater made his second career start after missing last week’s game with an ankle injury. Vikings fans hoped that the switch from Christian Ponder back to Bridgewater, who threw for 317 yards to beat Atlanta on Sept. 28, would be the cure for all that ails the offense.

But the ferocious Lions defense was in Bridgewater’s face all game long and blanketed the Vikings receivers. The Vikings converted just 3 of 14 third downs and managed only 212 total yards.

When Bridgewater did have time, he was uncharacteristically inaccurate. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 188 yards and threw a costly interception in the end zone in the first quarter. Another interception went through running back Matt Asiata’s hands and his third was batted at the line of scrimmage.

“Overall we just have to be better,” Bridgewater said. “Not just better on the football field, but better outside the football field, whether it’s around the facility or something else. So we just have to come back next week and learn from today and move forward.”

And that was Zimmer’s biggest concern.

“I’m extremely disappointed about this loss,” he said. “I can handle getting beat, but I can’t handle getting our butts whipped like that.”

The Vikings are missing Adrian Peterson while he addresses charges of child abuse in Texas. Tight end Kyle Rudolph, right guard Brandon Fusco and linebacker Chad Greenway are out because of injuries. But Zimmer was in no mood to play the excuse card after seeing the Lions come through without receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush.

“We’re undisciplined,” Zimmer said. “Trust me: We’re going to get disciplined.”

Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson, the team’s top two receivers, combined for five catches and 48 yards and Jerick McKinnon had 82 total yards in his first start at running back.

The offensive struggles masked a solid effort from Minnesota’s defense, which yielded only 255 total yards and stuffed the Lions of 12 of their 13 third downs. Matt Stafford completed 19 of 33 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown.

“We’re grown men, so we got to be willing to step up and talk to each other and get on each other,” cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. “It shouldn’t be coaches have to say, ‘You got to get here.’ You got to get there. It’s your job. This is how we feed our families, so we just got to do a better job with that.”

NOTES: Patterson was slowed by a hip injury, but he said he expected to be ready to go next week against Buffalo. … P Jeff Locke had a busy, but rough, afternoon. He punted seven times for a 37.9-yard average. … Ziggy Ansah led the way for the Lions with 2 1/2 sacks. … Tahir Whitehead had two of the three interceptions.

___

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://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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