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Eagles dominate in 27-0 win over Giants

By WTOP Staff

ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Asked about the New York Giants’ trash-talking during the week, Jeremy Maclin replied: “27-0. Thank you.”

The Philadelphia Eagles answered the Giants with a dominant performance from start to finish on offense, defense and special teams in a 27-0 win Sunday night.

Nick Foles threw two touchdown passes and LeSean McCoy had a season-high 149 yards rushing to help the Eagles earn their first shutout in 18 years.

“We played great in all three phases,” coach Chip Kelly said. “We’re pleased; we’re not satisfied. Still a lot of things we can do better.”

A rough night for the Giants (3-3) became worse when wide receiver Victor Cruz tore the patellar tendon his right knee while leaping for a pass on fourth down from the Eagles 3 in the third quarter. Cruz, a 2012 Pro Bowl pick, was crying and holding his hands to his face as he was carted off the field with an injury that’s expected to end his season.

“Huge loss,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “It wasn’t a good situation, a grim scene.”

Wearing all-black uniforms for the first time in franchise history, the Eagles (5-1) stayed tied with Dallas (5-1) for the lead in the NFC East. They hadn’t shut out an opponent since a 24-0 win over the Giants on Dec. 1, 1996, at old Veterans Stadium.

Foles had 248 yards passing, Darren Sproles ran for a score and the offense had a rare strong start.

The defense harassed and pressured Eli Manning often, sacking him six times and preventing New York’s upstart offense from getting on track. The Giants had won three in a row, scoring more than 30 points in each victory.

“It’s a good reminder that you just can’t show up on the field and have things go well for you automatically,” Manning said. “We got outplayed, outperformed.”

The Eagles entered with 11 offensive touchdowns and seven from their defense and special teams. But Foles and Co. didn’t need much help in this one.

Foles tossed a 15-yard scoring pass to Zach Ertz for Philadelphia’s first offensive TD in the first quarter this season. Ertz made a diving catch, dragging his feet to stay in bounds.

Foles hit a wide-open James Casey for a 26-yard TD pass to make it 17-0 in the second quarter. Sproles had a 15-yard TD run to put the Eagles ahead 27-0. He left the game with a left knee injury and didn’t return.

Some things we learned in Philadelphia’s convincing win over the Giants:

SHADY’S BACK: McCoy had more yards rushing in the first quarter than he had in full games against Washington and San Francisco. McCoy, an All-Pro last year, had struggled this season, averaging 2.9 yards per carry. Critics said he lost a step, that he wasn’t the same the player who led the NFL with a franchise-record 1,607 yards rushing in 2013. But McCoy had a breakout game against a team he has more career yards rushing against than any other.

“I never lost confidence in myself; you guys did and the people out there did,” McCoy said.

SACK ATTACK: Manning was sacked only seven times in the first five games before Connor Barwin (three), Vinny Curry (two) and Trent Cole (one) took him down. Brandon Graham and Brandon Bair sacked Ryan Nassib to make it eight for the defense.

Defensive coordinator Billy Davis said he disguised coverages more than usual to show Manning a different look. It worked.

“Billy called a great game because he obviously was confused,” Barwin said.

SLOPPY GIANTS: New York had 10 penalties, including a holding call on Will Beatty that nullified a 15-yard TD pass to Larry Donnell on the drive that ended with Cruz being injured.

“Penalties always hurt you, take away field position and kill your momentum,” rookie running back Andre Williams said. “They hurt us a lot.”

TOUGH UP FRONT: The Eagles’ offensive line had its best game, pushing the Giants off the ball and opening up running lanes for McCoy. On the opposite side, the defensive line was outstanding.

“To be honest, Philly was the more physical team,” Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said. “They beat us up front.”

TURNOVER PRONE: Foles leads the NFL with 10 turnovers (seven interceptions, three fumbles) after posting one of the best statistical seasons in league history last year when he threw 29 TD passes, including playoffs, and only two picks.

“I will correct those,” Foles said. “I will fix it. You want to keep being aggressive. I made a couple dumb mistakes with the football. I can fix those things. They’re not over my head.”

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AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi

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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