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Redskins hope to finally stop slide in Seattle

By WTOP Staff

By TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) – In one sentence, Rex Grossman summed up not only his season thus far, but the Washington Redskins as a whole.

“We were off to a 3-1 start, and now we’re 3-7, and I had pneumonia and this whole thing just stinks,” Grossman said this week.

On its worst losing streak in more than a decade, Washington comes to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday to face the Seahawks hoping to snap a six-game skid that’s seen the Redskins go from the surprise leaders of the NFC East to a bumbling also-ran now focused on what their draft position might be.

Washington’s current losing streak is its worst since dropping seven straight to begin the 1998 season and if they can’t get a win in Seattle, good luck figuring out just when the next win will come. The Redskins return home to host the New York Jets and New England before traveling to the Giants in Week 15.

“I’m playing to have a winning record this season. That’s all that we can control. It’s another clichDe but it’s true. I just want to go out and beat Seattle and play well. I can start worrying about other things later,” Grossman said. “You want to play well for yourself, obviously, but in this situation, we are totally committed to just thinking about one thing, `Break this losing streak. Beat Seattle.’ There’s no room for any other thoughts.”

Thanks to its two-game win streak, Seattle (4-6) has the chance of getting back into the fringes of the NFC playoff picture. It seems unlikely that the Seahawks can get into the race, but the opportunity is there to at least make it interesting.

Sunday’s game is the beginning of a three-game homestand that includes prime-time national games next Thursday night against Philadelphia and then Dec. 12 when Seattle hosts St. Louis on Monday night. It’s conceivable Seattle could win all three and find themselves at 7-6 with three weeks left in the season.

Sound crazy after a 2-6 start?

“The opportunity to capture what it takes on a week-to-week basis and the focus and the attention to detail is at hand right now. That’s why each one of these weeks is so cool and exciting to go after it again,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “Can we do it again? Can we find all of the right elements that it takes to execute a play really well with a young bunch of guys? They can feel it. They can sense that something is going on and it’s turning, so I’m just hoping that we can corral it and keep it in-house and do a good job with everything.”

What’s clicked so well for Seattle is a young and improving defense that continues to climb the NFL rankings – now 11th overall – and a rediscovery of a running game that has posted three straight games of more than 100 yards rushing.

Seattle’s defense held St. Louis to 185 total yards and had five sacks – three by Chris Clemons – in last week’s 24-7 win. While that stat may come with an asterisk since the Rams are the worst offense in the NFL, it was another impressive effort by a unit that features one first-round pick and five players in their first or second years in the league among the defensive starters.

“Even though we didn’t have success earlier I have always seen that we can win every game. We’re doing nothing (different). We’re just trusting our preparation,” Seattle safety Earl Thomas said.

A win Sunday would give Seattle its first three-game win streak under Carroll and its longest since winning five straight in 2007. Success has been fleeting in Seattle, even with a division title a year ago that was the result of playing in an awful division. With such a young team, the next challenge is learning to play with expectations.

“It’s been growing throughout the whole season. Even though we were losing we’ve had different guys making plays and actually seeing that they can get it done,” Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. “Even though we were taking losses during that process we were still able to get guys going and focused in the right direction and understanding the game a little more, understanding it’s still just football.”

If Washington is going to snap its skid, they’ll need another strong performance from Grossman. Last week against Dallas, Grossman threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns as the Redskins were a missed Graham Gano 52-yard field goal in overtime from knocking off the Cowboys. Grossman’s 95.5 quarterback rating was his second-highest of the season.

And he might be getting help back this week. Santana Moss practiced fully this week and is expected to play. Moss hasn’t played in more than a month with a broken left hand suffered against Carolina on Oct. 23.

“We’re trying to get our rhythm back. After our first four games we had a rhythm going and we were playing pretty consistent in the top 10 and all the sudden your lineup changes a little bit and we haven’t been consistent since then,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “But last weekend, we scored 24 against a pretty good defensive team. We made a few plays we hadn’t been making, so it was nice to get going in the right direction.” —
Follow Tim Booth on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ByTimBooth

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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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