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Rex wants Jets to be smart, but aggressive

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Just call ’em the Big, Bad New York Jets.

They’re an aggressive bunch who will hit you hard, push back if you shove them, and stick up for one another without hesitation.

At least, that’s Rex Ryan’s dream scenario for his team — with a few less penalties, of course.

“We want to be a physical football team, but we also want to be within the confinements of the rules,” Ryan said Monday. “Are there things that we need to clean up? Did we cross the line a couple of times? I think we did, OK?

“But I think the point about guys sticking up for each other and all that, that’s what we do and we’re going to do it. You’ve got to take care of your players.”

The Jets were called for 12 penalties, including a whopping six personal fouls, in a 25-17 win Saturday night. Another personal foul penalty was declined.

“Obviously, it’s never going to be acceptable when you have six personal foul penalties,” Ryan said. “But it is to a point where the style of play, we were going to be aggressive and we challenged our guys to be aggressive.”

Some might call it sloppy and undisciplined. The Jets thought it might have been a case where they were making a statement.

“Yeah, I mean, Rex talks to us about being physical and being tough and doing the things that it takes to win games,” quarterback Geno Smith said. “So it started up front and I think a lot of those flags were a result of us trying to be a little chippy and having that hard edge.”

Both right guard Willie Colon and right tackle Breno Giacomini got into it with the Bengals during a first-quarter skirmish that including some pushing and shoving.

“We refer to them as ‘The Bash Brothers,'” center Nick Mangold said. “It’s that kind of mentality, as long as it’s within the whistle, that’s a great thing for us.”

A few times, though, penalties short-circuited drives, and that’s something the Jets recognize they need to work on, balancing being smart and aggressive.

“You can talk about it until you’re blue in the face and I don’t think it registers a lot of times with guys,” Mangold said. “This time, we were able to see the detriment that it had. When you go from third-and-6 to third-and-16. Third-and-6 is hard enough as it is, and now you have to tack on another 10. … I think being able to look at the film and say, ‘This hurt us,’ is a good thing.”

Ryan doesn’t believe teams will look at the Jets and try to bait them into committing drive-killing penalties.

“I think we went into that specific game with a certain mentality ourselves,” he said. “We weren’t going to be a punching bag. So, we approached it that way. We were the more physical team.”

And the slightly more-penalized team, too. The Bengals drew 11 penalty calls; it seemed yellow flags were constantly flying.

“We’ve just got to be smart and understand how far we can take it,” Ryan said. “Again, I don’t want to see a penalty ever. I want to be the least-penalized team in the league. But I also want to be the most aggressive that we can possibly be.”

Ryan pointed out that the last two Super Bowl champions, Seattle and Baltimore, were also the two most-penalized teams in the league in those seasons.

“I’ll sign up for that,” Ryan joked before reiterating the need to strive for fewer penalties.

Players must keep their composure, even when an opponent is trying to rile them up.

“You have to understand that we can’t put ourselves in tough situations, can’t shoot ourselves in the foot,” Smith said. “I fully expect to get those things corrected because we have veteran guys on the front line and within our locker room, and guys who understand what it takes to win. So we just have to do the right thing, and not get those flags.”

NOTES: Ryan announced that CB Dee Milliner has a high-ankle sprain that is “healing nicely.” He was injured Aug. 10 and hasn’t practiced since. There’s no word when he might return. … Mangold sat out with a toe injury, but said it isn’t serious. … WR Eric Decker (quadriceps) was limited, but returned to practice after sitting out vs. Cincinnati. … TE Jeff Cumberland (Achilles tendon) and CB Ras-I Dowling (groin) sat out 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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