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Arians finds much to criticize in Cardinals win

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona coach Bruce Arians found much to criticize in the Cardinals’ victory over Washington.

He said he counted 40 mental errors, 20 each on offense and defense. The team had 14 penalties in Sunday’s 30-20 win.

Arians said the game was won “surprisingly” because of turnovers. The Redskins had all four in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals didn’t have any in the game.

Arizona has only three turnovers — and zero interceptions — through five games.

Arians was critical of cornerback Patrick Peterson’s performance. He said it was “not good for him.”

Peterson was beaten by DeSean Jackson on a 64-yard touchdown pass.

Arians’ criticism aside, Arizona improved to 4-1 and is alone atop the NFC West.

The victory over Washington wasn’t assured until Rashad Johnson intercepted Kirk Cousins and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown with 18 seconds to play.

“Offensively, we had chances to put that thing away and couldn’t get it done,” Arians said. “We’ve got to find ways to finish things when we have them like that in those situations, when you have a team on the brink.”

The story was Carson Palmer’s return. He hadn’t played in nearly five weeks and took snaps in only part of last Friday’s practice. The decision to start him wasn’t made until a couple of hours before kickoff.

Palmer threw 44 passes, completing 28 of them, for 250 yards and two touchdowns in his first game since he smashed a nerve in his throwing shoulder in Arizona’s season-opening win over San Diego.

On Monday, Arians said that Palmer felt fine. The plan is for the quarterback to practice all week leading to next Sunday’s game at Oakland.

Arians singled out tackle Bobby Massie, cornerback Jerraud Powers, Johnson and outside linebacker Alex Okafor for praise.

Massie, improved from last year, handled the Washington pass rush all day.

Powers, described by Arians as the team’s defensive MVP thus far this season, had four tackles, an interception, forced fumble and a pass defensed. Johnson had two interceptions.

Okafor, starting in place of injured Matt Shaughnessy, sacked Washington’s Kirk Cousins twice.

Defensive tackle Frostee Rucker injured his calf and left the game, but returned. Rucker may have to live with the injury the rest of the season, Arians said.

“It’s going to be there all year and play through it and gut it out,” the coach said. “It was a great performance by him coming back out and giving his presence because he’s a great leader.”

Rucker, who became a starter when Darnell Dockett went down with a season-ending knee injury, said “it’s going to be tough” dealing with the injury.

“I’ll stay here day and night, trying to get it right,” he said. “There’s not much you can do but treat it with these doctors. They do a good job and it’s just on my body to respond. I shouldn’t miss any time. I just want to make sure I cannot hurt us by being out there.”

After Palmer’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald put Arizona up 14-10 with 31 seconds to go in the first half, the Redskins needed 29 seconds to move far enough downfield for a field goal.

Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was livid about that at halftime.

“He had choice words that can’t be mentioned now,” Rucker said, “but I think he got the attention of all of us and woke us all up.”

The players had never seen Bowles that upset.

“He gave a real speech and got us motivated. We didn’t have a choice, but to play good in the second half,” Powers said. “It the first time we saw that. I’d never seen him that angry or mad.”

Arizona is plus-8 in turnovers, third-best in the NFL, one behind Green Bay and New England. The Cardinals’ three turnovers are the third-fewest in the league, one more than San Diego and Cleveland.

The victory left the Cardinals 9-2 at home since Arians took the job last season, 3-0 this season.

Overall, they have won 11 of their past 14 games.

___

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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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