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ICYMI: Cowboys 5-1; Rodgers’ fake spike; ties OK?

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Pro Football Writer

With DeMarco Murray achieving something only Hall of Famer Jim Brown had, Tony Romo at his improvisational best, a dominant offensive line and a surprisingly competent defense, the Dallas Cowboys are 5-1 for the first time since 2007 — and worthy of their “America’s Team” moniker for the first time in a while.

Murray’s 115 yards allowed him to match Brown as the only running backs to gain 100 yards in each of a season’s opening six games, and his late touchdown allowed the Cowboys to beat the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks 30-23. It’s only the second time in Russell Wilson’s 21 home games that Seattle lost.

What made Murray’s showing all the more impressive is that Seattle came into Sunday with the NFL’s top rushing defense. And Dallas’ D held Seattle’s offense to 16 points, while limiting Wilson to 126 yards passing and 12 rushing.

“That’s not a good day for him,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, in perhaps the understatement of the day.

And maybe Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is finally on his way to a winning record and the playoffs after three consecutive 8-8 seasons.

In case you missed it, here are the other top topics after the NFL season’s sixth Sunday:

FAKE SPIKE: Aaron Rodgers pulled off Dan Marino’s move against Marino’s old team, using a fake spike to help extend what became the go-ahead TD drive in Green Bay’s 27-24 victory at Miami. Rodgers — who is right-handed but earlier threw one pass lefty in order to avoid getting sacked — gave every indication he was going to spike the football to stop the clock at second-and-6 from Miami’s 16. But snapping the ball with 12 seconds to go, he held onto the ball, and with teammates helping sell the fake — slot receiver Jordy Nelson didn’t move; offensive linemen stood up and stayed put — completed a toss to Davante Adams for a gain of 12. “Yeah, that was kind of some freestylin’ right there,” said Rodgers, who then hit Andrew Quarless for a touchdown.

TIES OK?: Should the NFL look into figuring out a way to make sure a game doesn’t end in a tie? The Bengals and Panthers both got a field goal in overtime, but Cincinnati’s Mike Nugent missed a 36-yard potential winner at the end of the lone extra quarter, and the score wound up 37-all. Professional football remains unique among major sports — including college football — in letting games conclude without a winner.

LIONS CAN’T KICK: Matt Prater, who made the longest field goal in NFL history when he was with Denver, went 1 for 3 in his debut for Detroit on Sunday, continuing a hard-to-believe pattern: The Lions are 5 for 15 on field-goal tries this season. Prater, Detroit’s third kicker in 2014, missed one try wide and put another off an upright.

GENEROUS COUSINS: Only 2 1/2 years after drafting a pair of quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III in the first round (trading a bunch of first- and second-round picks to get him) and Kirk Cousins in the fourth, Washington can’t be quite sure what to make of its QB situation. RG3 keeps getting hurt and has yet to prove himself as a pocket passer; Cousins keeps giving the ball away. He threw three fourth-quarter interceptions in a 30-20 loss at Arizona on Sunday, two games after throwing three third-quarter picks in a blowout against the Giants. Cousins is merely one of many, many problems for Washington, which is 1-5 under rookie head coach Jay Gruden.

INJURIES: Among significant players who left games Sunday with leg injuries were Cleveland’s Pro Bowl center, Alex Mack, who had never missed a snap — more than 5,000 — in his NFL career until breaking his left leg; the Giants’ salsa-dancing receiver, Victor Cruz, who cried as he was driven off the field after tearing a tendon in his right knee while trying to make an end-zone catch; Philadelphia’s do-everything Darren Sproles, who hurt his left knee. The AFC East-leading Patriots, meanwhile, lost linebacker Jerod Mayo (right knee), running back Stevan Ridley (right knee) and starting guard Dan Connolly (concussion).

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: 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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