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Tom looks terrific as Patriots beat Bills 37-22

By WTOP Staff

JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Tom’s Terrific again. And the New England Patriots sure don’t appear to look so vulnerable.

Two weeks after questions were raised over whether the Patriots’ decade-plus era of dominance might be dimming, Brady and Co. showed they’re in no position to be written off any time soon.

It helps, too, that Buffalo Bills continue to bring out the best out of their AFC East nemesis.

Brady threw four touchdowns for a season-best 361 yards in New England’s 37-22 win over the Bills on Sunday. It marked his 60th career 300-yard game and 16th outing in which Brady has four or more touchdowns and no interceptions.

In doing so, he upped his record to 23-2 over Buffalo, helped the Patriots (4-2) claim top spot in the division, and bested the Bills (3-3), who were opening a new era under new owners Terry and Kim Pegula.

“It was fun to be out there,” Brady said. “We are six games into the year. We are a long way from the team we are going to be here in a couple of months.”

The offense continued showing signs of a newfound identity in winning two in a row following a 41-14 loss at Kansas City on Sept. 29.

Brady went 27 of 37 and completed passes to 10 receivers, including two touchdowns to Brandon LaFell about six minutes apart in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Brian Tyms and tight end Tim Wright also scored touchdowns.

The Bills continued raising doubts about their consistency.

They’ve lost three of four. They failed to build on the momentum of a come-from-behind 17-14 win at Detroit last weekend. And they failed to capitalize on the electric environment generated by a sold-out crowd that eagerly greeted the Pegulas, while losing to an all-too-familiar opponent.

“It’s frustrating,” Bills tight end Scott Chandler said. “They’ve been the top dog in our division since the division was formed.”

Here’s some things that stood out in a game the Patriots never trailed:

TURNOVERS: The Bills turned the ball over three times on six second-quarter possessions, which led directly to 13 New England points.

Kyle Orton went 24 of 38 for 299 yards with touchdown passes to Robert Woods and Chris Hogan. But he threw an interception and lost a fumble in his second start since taking over for EJ Manuel. Running back C.J. Spiller also lost a fumble with 6 seconds left, which set up Stephen Gostkowski’s 53-yard field goal that put New England up 13-7.

Brady opened the second half with a 43-yard TD pass to Tyms.

INJURIES: Patriots coach Bill Belichick expressed concern over Jerod Mayo’s status after the linebacker hurt his right knee and was carted off in the second quarter.

“Obviously, it was a little bittersweet with Jerod going down in the first half, so I hope he’s OK,” Belichick said without going into detail. The Patriots also lost starting running back Stevan Ridley (right knee) and starting guard Dan Connolly (concussion).

New England has little time to rest up in preparing to host the New York Jets on Thursday.

GRONKED OUT: Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who grew up in Buffalo, had seven catches for 94 yards but was held without a touchdown for the first time in seven games against the Bills. Gronkowski had appeared to extend the streak, but his 18-yard touchdown catch was negated by a holding penalty to guard Jordan Dewey.

No matter.

“Everyone was clicking on all cylinders,” Gronkowski said. “It’s great to come to the hometown, in front of my friends and family and get that victory.”

PEGULA-VILLE: Led by Terry, the entire Pegula family — and dog Sidney — took the field for a pregame ceremony. Pegula made a brief speech and paid tribute to his predecessor, Bills founder and Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson, who died in March.

“There aren’t too many times in life where I’m happy with being second in anything,” Pegula said. “But to follow Ralph Wilson, I’ll accept that.”

SIDELINES: The Bills squandered a chance to have four wins through six weeks for only the third time since 2000. … The Patriots, who lost their season-opener against Miami, have never started a season 0-2 against AFC East rivals since the NFL realigned its divisions in 2002. … Chandler led Buffalo with six catches for a career-high 105 yards, becoming the team’s first tight end to surpass 100 yards since Pete Metzelaars had 113 on Sept. 13, 1992.

___

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