Skip to main content

NFL recaps: Week 6

By Rob Woodfork

WASHINGTON — This is the preamble I never want to write.

As a guy who grew up a D.C. sports fan, it pains me to see good things happen to Philly and/or Dallas in just about any sport. So just imagine how much I’m stewing over the two-way tie atop the NFC East between the Eagles and Cowboys.

We expected Philly to be here. But Dallas? Inconceivable.

Yet, here we are. The Cowboys went into Seattle and knocked off the defending champs, something a non-NFC West team hasn’t done since 2011.

It wasn’t just that they did it. It’s how they did it. Dallas lost the turnover battle, gave up a special teams touchdown, and got little in the return game. Plus, hanging 30 points on the Seahawks in Seattle is like scoring 50 anywhere else.

DeMarco Murray tied a league record with 6 straight 100-yard games to start the season, something only Jim Brown has done before him. And in very un- Cowboy like fashion, he dodged the media to avoid soaking up all the glory after the game.

If Tony Romo’s back is bothering him, it’s not even close to obvious. The Legion of Boom came close once or twice, but never got a Romo interception. This season, he’s completed over 68 percent of his throws and has an 11-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio. He’s on top of his game.

It’s hard not to be with one of the best 1-2 punches at wide receiver (Dez Bryant and Terence Williams–who had a sick sideline catch on a late 3rd-and- long) and a cinch Hall of Famer at tight end (Jason Witten).

I’m sure you read my NFL preview, where I had Dallas at 6-10 with the caveat that things spiral even further down to three wins. A big reason why was their defense.

Well, what looked like an epic awful defense on paper is instead a bend-but- don’t break unit led in part by a guy who looked to be done just a few months ago. Rolando McLain has salvaged his career to help fill the void at middle linebacker and keep the Cowboys defense ranked in the top 10 in scoring.

This is despite losing Sean Lee for the season and with DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher playing elsewhere.

So much for cratering.

Trust me…I’ve seen enough of Jason Garrett’s Dallas Cowboys to know that a good start doesn’t necessarily beget a good finish. A crucial Romo pick to lose a game is coming. So too is a Garrett brain fart that’ll cost Dallas a victory. These stars tend not to shine in December, so I’m not buying into the notion they’re the best team in the NFC.

But this unexpectedly hot start means the Cowboys need only play their .500 brand of football over the next 10 games to finish 10-6. That should be good enough to pull a wild card in the playoffs, if not the division title.

So Jerry Jones might get that return to the glory hole days after all.

Ok, let’s just get to the Week 6 recap before I throw up in my mouth again:

Colts 33
Texans 28

J.J. Watt has joined William “Refrigerator” Perry in NFL annals. Houston is hoping he’ll add a Super Bowl Shuffle to his dance repertoire.

Ravens 48
Bucs 17

In a battle of the last two teams to win a Super Bowl without an elite quarterback, Joe Flacco threw for a franchise-record 5 TDs. The only other QB to do that for Baltimore? Tony Banks. Great reminder of just how mediocre Ravens QBs are historically.

Jaguars 14
Titans 16

Who cares?

Broncos 31
Jets 17

Considering the three worst losses of Peyton Manning’s career all came in New York, this might have been his most impressive performance of the season to date.

Lions 17
Vikings 3

It’s hard to tell who had the who had the worst performance from this game: Teddy Bridgewater on the field, Joique Bell in the locker room, or Mike Goldberg in the booth.

Patriots 37
Bills 22

Somewhere, Tom Brady is walking around in his Uggs wearing a Belichick hoodie while spitting the lyrics to “Mama Said Knock You Out”…

Panthers 37
Bengals 37 (OT)

I’ve ranted on this for years: ties should never happen. Playing 75 minutes of football without an outcome is mindnumbingly stupid and wholly unacceptable. There is no worse outcome in football.

Steelers 10
Browns 31

Biggest win over Pittsburgh in 25 years. First division victory of 20 points or more since 2003. It’s actually not a bad time to be a Cleveland fan.

Packers 27
Dolphins 24

Aaron Rodgers took his talents to South Beach and beat Dan Marino’s old team with the play made famous by Dan: the fake spike pass. Rodgers’ swag is off the charts right now.

Redskins

␎ Redskins (AP)

A reflection of the Redskins’ season so far, in one photo. (AP Images/Ross D. Franklin)

Redskins 20
Cardinals 30

Four 4th quarter turnovers that led to 10 points. Just 2-for-10 on 3rd down. Talk of turning to Colt McCoy at QB. Boy, it’s getting ugly really early in Washington…

Chargers 31
Raiders 28

Interim coach Tony Sparano may have buried the Raiders’ 0-4 start, but there’s apparently a zombie apocalypse in Oakland. Which could really only happen in The Black Hole, right?

Bears 27
Falcons 13

Pretty sure there won’t be any “twitter terrorists” in Chicago this week.

Cowboys 30
Seahawks 23

The difference between the Redskins and Seahawks? Seattle takes losses much harder. If you dare to read Doug Baldwin’s postgame comments, be sure to hide your kids, hide your wife…

Giants 0
Eagles 27

This game was so lopsided we didn’t really learn anything about either team. All we know is each fate was altered moving forward after Victor Cruz and Darren Sproles were lost to injury.

Niners 31
Rams 17

San Fran won its seventh straight Monday Nighter in the 700th game on MNF. Does that bode well for the Giants in the NLCS? No. The two aren’t related. It’s just fun to point out.

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPSports on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote