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Manning not hitting panic button with new offense

By WTOP Staff

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Eli Manning understands the concern about the New York Giants’ offense with the regular season three weeks away.

The guys entrusted with making new coordinator Ben McAdoo’s unit work have done little in the last two preseason games.

Here’s the numbers the first offense posted in eight series against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts: 31 plays, 134 yards, six first downs — three by penalty — and one touchdown.

Most of the yardage came on a 73-yard touchdown run by Rashad Jennings against the Steelers. Take that away and it’s 30 plays for 61 yards, or roughly 2 yards per play.

Manning is 1 for 9 for 6 yards in the two games and Victor Cruz has yet to catch a pass in three preseason games.

Despite the gloom, Manning remains hopeful things will be better when the Giants line up against the Lions on Sept. 8 in Detroit.

“I don’t think we have ever been a great preseason team as far as I remember,” Manning said Monday as the Giants (3-0) began preparations for Friday night’s game against the Jets (2-0). “I know how things are going in practice and what we are capable of doing. We have improvements to do for sure, but we have a little time and we’ll keep working on things.

“I have seen progress over these weeks in practice and some of these concepts we are getting better at, getting a better feel for things and the timing for things. So we’ll keep working at it.”

Sounds good. However, the offense has not looked good the past two weeks and the players know it.

Guard Geoff Schwartz said it was tough going over the game film, especially because the offense should be at the point where it is making progress transitioning from former coordinator Kevin Gilbride’s balanced attack to McAdoo’s up-tempo West Coast version. It has created a sense of urgency heading into the annual preseason game with Rex Ryan’s team.

The Giants need to start showing what type of an offense they have, he said.

“The execution of the offense means something in preseason,” Schwartz said. “We just haven’t been executing terribly well, whether it’s blocking or other things I can’t really say. I know up front we have not been executing that well, especially Saturday night. That’s something preseason or regular season we have to be better at.”

Cruz, who had a 51-yard reception nullified by a penalty and a fumble Saturday night, isn’t hitting the panic button. He notes that the Giants have not shown much of their new offense in the preseason. His biggest concern is the lack of execution through the first three games. He believes there are plays to be made if everyone performs their roles.

“There is still a ways to go,” Cruz said. “We still have a ton of practices before Week 1 in Detroit. We still have a ton of film to watch, a ton of things to change and things to get better at that we can get better at, and things we can fix. I think it is only a matter of time until we get everything clicking. I think we will have it down pat and we will get things going by Week 1, for sure.”

The Giants probably will make some changes before the season starts.

Rookie Weston Richburg, the second-round draft pick, is pushing Brandon Mosley for the starting job at right guard. Manning also will have an added deep threat when rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the first-round pick, is ready to go after being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Game-planning more also will help.

“Even this week we’ll game-plan a little bit more,” said Manning, who admitted he missed three big-play passes on Saturday. “The other weeks you kind of have one day where you’re looking at the opposing defense and you’re really just trying to run your base plays. Even this week we’ll be kind of looking at the Jets all week, practicing plays that are designed to go in with certain personnel. Hopefully that will help some. Really it’s just a matter of winning our individual battles and playing smart football.”

NOTES: While he did not practice, starting CB Prince Amukamara is cautiously optimistic his groin injury suffered Saturday is not serious. … MLB Jon Beason (broken right foot) is not sure he will be allowed to play in the preseason, but he intends to be ready for the regular-season opener. He was injured in the veterans minicamp in June. … It appeared that Beckham aggravated his hamstring in practice, but Giants general manager Jerry Reese told team spokesman Pat Hanlon the rookie was OK. Coach Tom Coughlin was caught off-guard when asked about Beckham and smiled at Hanlon when told about Reese’s comment. “Why would I need information like that?” Coughlin said. … Besides Amukamara, RB Peyton Hillis (ankle/foot), CBs Jayron Hosley (foot) and Ross Weaver (ankle), TEs Kellen Davis (Achilles strain) and Xavier Grimble (hamstring) and OL Charles Brown (shoulder) and James Brewer (back) did not practice.

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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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