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Chargers avoid scare vs Raiders; prep for KC

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — For the last five minutes, Philip Rivers and rookies Branden Oliver and Jason Verrett were brilliant for the streaking San Diego Chargers.

Not so much the first 55 minutes on Sunday, when the Chargers stumbled around before coming up with big plays in the fourth quarter to turn back the surprisingly pesky Oakland Raiders 31-28.

The Chargers improved to 5-1, tied with Philadelphia and Dallas for the NFL’s best record.

The Chargers have won five straight. The past three were against teams with a combined 1-16 record and starting either rookie or second-year quarterbacks.

The competition gets tougher Sunday when the Chargers host the Kansas City Chiefs, who are coming off their bye.

Pretty much everybody underestimated the Raiders, who were playing their first game under interim coach Tony Sparano.

The Raiders led three times, including with 10 minutes left after rookie Derek Carr threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day, a 6-yarder to Andre Holmes to make it 28-21.

“It was tough. We were down. Kicking, scratching and clawing away,” Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd said Monday. “At one point it didn’t seem like we were going to pull it off, but we’ve got a lot of guys that stepped up.”

Floyd said it was tough because “they threw some things we weren’t expecting, some schemes we weren’t expecting. They started off fast. I don’t know if it was them getting off a bye week or not. They seemed like they were out there flying around.”

The Chargers avoided an upset loss thanks to Oliver, who scored on a 1-yard run to put the Chargers ahead by three with 1:56 left, and Verrett, who made a leaping interception with 1:13 left. Verrett grew up in Northern California and his brother works for the Raiders.

Rivers continued his torrid play, completing 22 of 34 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. His rating was 123.8, giving him a 120 or higher rating for an NFL-record fifth straight game.

There were rough spots, though, particularly on defense. Carr completed 18 of 34 passes for 282 yards, including TD throws of 77 yards to Holmes and 47 yards to Brice Butler.

Coach Mike McCoy declined to give updates on two key players who were injured Sunday, wide receiver Eddie Royal (ribs) and cornerback Brandon Flowers (groin).

McCoy appeared irritated Monday when asked why he didn’t use a timeout during the Oakland drive that ended with Sebastian Janikowski missing a 53-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half with the score tied at 14.

“It worked out right, right? I’m not going to second-guess any calls we made in the game,” McCoy said. “According to me it worked out exactly how I wanted it. He missed it. It worked out perfect to me. I’m not going to second-guess it. We did it and he missed it so it worked out just perfect.”

McCoy said he won’t second-guess himself, offensive coordinator Frank Reich, defensive coordinator John Pagano or special teams coordinator Kevin Spencer.

“I’m going to do every play, every second of every football game what I think is in the best interest and I’m not going to second-guess it,” McCoy said. “I’m not going to go back and say Frank didn’t do this, John didn’t do this, Kevin didn’t do this.

“Hey, it all starts with me as the head coach and I’m going to do everything I can, and every decision I make is in the best interest. … We’re not going to come in here and give an explanation for every single thing we do.”

The Chargers meet the Chiefs for the first time since Dec. 29, when San Diego won in overtime to clinch the AFC’s final playoff berth. Having already clinched a wild-card berth, the Chiefs rested 20 of 22 starters.

It still wasn’t easy for the Bolts, who allowed 332 yards and watched Ryan Succop push a 41-yard field goal attempt wide right with 4 seconds left in regulation.

The league later said the officials missed a penalty against San Diego that would have given Succop another shot from 5 yards closer.

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Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

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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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