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Peyton Manning: ‘Our offense stunk today’

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Peyton Manning was disgusted with the Denver Broncos offense after the first of three practices with the Houston Texans.

“I thought our offense stunk today,” Manning said after Tuesday’s two-hour practice in shells and shorts. “I thought their defense totally kicked our butt.”

And when the five-time MVP isn’t happy, nobody’s happy.

“I don’t feel like we had our best day as a group, especially on the offensive side of the ball,” Demaryius Thomas said. “There were a lot of penalties, not converting well, I don’t think I had one of my best days.”

Asked specifically what had set him off, Manning stared at a reporter like he had stared down receiver Bubba Caldwell after a poorly run route or two an hour earlier.

“Were you watching?” Manning retorted.

What observers saw, actually, was a Broncos offense that produced its share of big plays in both 7-on-7 and team drills against a Romeo Crennel-designed 3-4 defense led by J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney but also some sloppy moments less than 48 hours after a chest-thumping 34-0 shutout of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Texans had an extra day’s rest, having played Atlanta on Saturday night.

“They executed better than we did,” Manning said. “They just did their jobs a lot better.”

Denver’s starters have looked solid in preseason wins over Seattle and San Francisco, games in which Manning has completed 22 of 27 passes for 182 yards and a TD, leading some to suggest the Broncos are ready for the regular season right now.

“I think that story ought to die pretty quickly after today’s performance out there,” Manning said.

He said there was no ulterior motive to his harsh assessment, denying that he was just trying to light a fire under his team so it didn’t start to feel like the next two weeks didn’t matter.

“I kind of call it like I see it. When you have a pretty below-average practice, you’ve got to call it a below-average practice,” Manning said. “So, I think this team does a pretty good job staying pretty even-keeled. I don’t think anybody is overly excited about beating a San Francisco team that didn’t have Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, that didn’t blitz us one time, playing kind of a pretty vanilla scheme. They will be a different animal when we play those guys in the regular season, trust me.”

The Broncos will also see the Seahawks again in September, but after Saturday night’s game against Houston, they won’t see the Texans again this season unless they meet up in the playoffs.

Manning said he’s thrilled to get three workouts in against the Texans and Crennel, who is in his first season as Texans defensive coordinator, having joined the staff after another former Bill Belichick disciple, Bill O’Brien, was named head coach.

“Romeo Crennel is one of the best coaches out there,” Manning said. “Overall, it will be a good week for us. But we’ve got to do better than we did today on offense.”

While the Texans, who went 2-14 last year, talked all about how beneficial it was facing the defending AFC champs, it was the Broncos who were talking up the Texans.

Thomas said the Texans had plenty to do with Denver’s discombobulated performance that so upset Manning.

“They came in and did what they were supposed to do. They put pressure on us. They stopped us on a couple of third downs, fourth downs and two-minutes,” Thomas said. “They get a lot of credit.”

To be sure, Denver’s defense also got the best of Houston’s offense.

“I feel like we had a pretty good practice,” Von Miller said. “Today had a game-type atmosphere. We still made some errors. That’s what practice is for, you just go out there and try to smooth everything out.”

The teams will suit up in full pads Wednesday. That, combined with Manning calling out his teammates, promises to ratchet up the intensity.

Notes: Watt said he’d like a new contract soon, but he’s not stressing over it: “I get paid to go after quarterbacks. There are people who get paid to decide how much I get paid to go after quarterbacks,” he said. … Texans RG Brandon Brooks participated in his first practice after missing camp with an undisclosed injury and CB Johnathan Joseph is back after missing all of camp following offseason toe surgery. … WR Andre Johnson, RB Arian Foster and LB Brian Cushing, who didn’t play against the Falcons, ramped up their workload Tuesday.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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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