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3 more TDs for Manning as Broncos beat Jets 31-17

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Julius Thomas started screaming after he caught a dart of a pass from Peyton Manning while streaking into the end zone.

“It’s so easy!” the Denver Broncos tight end shouted.

Well, it was far from the blowout many predicted, but Peyton Manning and the Broncos were in control most of the way in beating the New York Jets 31-17 on Sunday.

“I like to have fun out there,” Thomas said. “I was just really excited.”

And, for good reason. Manning connected with him twice and Demaryius Thomas once, leaving the Broncos’ quarterback two shy of Brett Favre’s career mark for passing TDs. Manning has 506 career touchdown passes, and could tie or break Favre’s record next Sunday at home against San Francisco.

“I don’t know if any of them are big for me, especially in the middle of the season,” Manning said of the importance of the record. “We’re playing a tough schedule, got the 49ers at home and they’ve been one of the dominant teams of the past couple years. That’s all I am thinking about.”

Manning was 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 he displayed his methodical best at times in his return to MetLife Stadium, where he and the Broncos (4-1) were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl last February.

“It’s just ridiculous how good he is,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said.

The Jets (1-5) had a chance to tie when they got the ball deep in their own 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 that sent New York to its fifth straight loss.

“The game plan was great,” Smith said. “We should’ve done a better job.”

The struggling Smith, looking to keep his starting job, was 23 of 43 for 190 yards and touchdown passes to Jace Amaro and Eric Decker, with the one interception. Decker finished with six receptions for 54 yards, while Amaro had 10 catches for 68 yards for the Jets, who play at New England on Thursday night.

Here are some other things to know from the Broncos’ victory over the Jets:

THOMAS DUO: Both of the Broncos’ Thomases — Demaryius and Julius — were busy against the Jets.

Demaryius Thomas caught 10 passes for 124 yards, a week after he set the Broncos’ single-game record with 226 yards receiving against Arizona.

Julius Thomas caught his eighth and ninth touchdown passes, the most by a tight end in NFL history through his team’s first five games of a season. He finished with four catches for 51 yards.

GROUND GAMES: Hillman made his first NFL start in place of the injured Montee Ball and rushed for a career-high 100 yards on 24 carries.

He also became just the fourth player in team history to reach 100 yards rushing in his first start, joining Bobby Humphrey (1989), Mike Anderson (2000) and Clinton Portis (2002). The Broncos gained 138 yards overall on the ground against the team that was ranked No. 6 in run defense coming in.

“From the way they were playing us,” Manning said, “they didn’t think much of our running game coming in.”

Meanwhile, the Jets were held to just 31 yards — and had 9 through three quarters. Smith was the Jets’ leading rusher with 11 yards.

SMITH STILL STARTING: Despite Smith’s struggles this season, Ryan announced that he will start for the Jets at New England.

Smith was 23 of 43 for 190 yards and two TDs, and was close to having a turnover-free game until the late pick-six by Talib. He has six TD passes and seven INTs in six games, with a quarterback rating of 69.7.

“Obviously, I’m frustrated,” Smith said. “Five losses in a row, obviously has everyone frustrated. But I’m optimistic.”

FAMILIAR FACES: Decker faced his former team for the first time since signing with the Jets as a free agent in the offseason.

His 2-yard touchdown catch cut the Jets’ deficit to seven at 24-17 with 7:56 left. Decker spent four seasons with the Broncos from 2010-13, but wasn’t feeling too nostalgic.

“It was just a football game out there,” Decker said. “There were a lot of close friends out there, but it’s part of the business when you go to a new team.”

INJURY REPORT: New York might have lost its top cornerback Dee Milliner to a potential season-ending injury.

Milliner, who missed time earlier with a high ankle sprain and a quadriceps issue, injured his right Achilles tendon during a field goal and sat out the rest of the game. He was seen with crutches by his side as he was carted from the locker room to the stadium parking lot.

The Jets also lost starting left guard Brian Winters to what could be a serious left knee injury, and rookie linebacker Trevor Reilly to an injured knee.

Denver linebacker Danny Travathon left with a knee injury.

___

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
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