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LB Mayo, RB Ridley out of Patriots game vs. Jets

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — With two wins and two more serious injuries, the New England Patriots are getting back to normal.

They’ve regained their usual dominance after the second biggest loss of Tom Brady’s career. They also lost their leading tackler and top rusher to right knee injuries, just as three important players were sidelined last year.

Middle linebacker Jerod Mayo was taken off the field on a cart in the second quarter of the Patriots 37-22 win in Buffalo on Sunday. Late in the third quarter, running back Stevan Ridley was helped off the field. Neither returned and both have been declared out of Thursday night’s home game against the New York Jets.

Mayo is a captain and chief communicator on defense.

“A lot of guys have to step up because a guy like that is hard to replace, not only what he does on the field but who he is in this locker room, his leadership, the man that he is,” special teams captain Matthew Slater said Monday. “There’s no really replacing that guy with one guy.”

Mayo, chosen for two Pro Bowls in his first six NFL seasons, played six games last year before suffering a season-ending torn pectoral muscle. Two starting defensive tackles also had season-ending injuries, Vince Wilfork in the fourth game and Tommy Kelly in the fifth.

“In the back of your mind, I think you have to understand if you play this game long enough the injury rate’s 100 percent,” Slater said. “It may not always be the big, traumatic injuries, but there’s going to be some sort of injury that you sustain.”

Ridley’s injury occurred when he was tackled for a 2-yard loss by cornerback Stephon Gilmore and landed hard. He’s leading the Patriots in rushing for the third straight season and hasn’t had a fumble after losing two in 2012 and four last year.

“Stevan put a lot of work in this offseason preparing himself, making himself better, improving his game and he was doing a good job for us,” Slater said. “That’s another situation you just hate to see sometimes, the cruel effects of this game with the injuries. It’s definitely heartbreaking to see guys go down like that, but we have to do as good a job as we can of just trying to move on and continuing to play well.”

Left guard Dan Connolly left the game with a concussion. Rookie center Bryan Stork missed the game with a concussion after starting the previous two games.

The Patriots (4-2) have played very well since losing 41-14 at Kansas City on Sept. 29. They routed the Cincinnati Bengals 43-17 the following Sunday then beat the Bills.

New England has scored 80 points in its last two games after totaling 80 in its first four.

Brady is coming off his two best games of the season and is distributing the ball better. Against Buffalo, he threw four touchdown passes and had completions to 10 receivers.

“Tom is doing a really good job of getting the ball to where it’s supposed to go,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “Whenever it’s their turn to be targeted, I think our guys are trying to do a good job of making the most of those opportunities.”

Tight end Rob Gronkowski has progressed steadily after undergoing offseason knee surgery. He had 13 catches in his first four games then added six against Cincinnati and seven against Buffalo.

“We are clicking as a team right now,” he said. “We are clicking on offense and clicking on defense. We just have to keep it going and keep working hard. We can’t put our heads down no matter what it is or what situation it is.”

Mayo’s absence could be offset somewhat by the likely return of starting linebacker Dont’a Hightower. He missed his second straight game with a knee injury, but it was a game-time decision.

Without Ridley, New England could use Shane Vereen, Brandon Bolden or rookie James White, who has been active for just one game.

“Whatever the future has in store for us, you just don’t know as a football player,” said defensive end Rob Ninkovich, who had three sacks Sunday after getting just one in the first five games. “You don’t know what play or in what game that someone could have an injury. Whatever we have, we just have to go and continue on and stay mentally tough and have another guy step up.”

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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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