Skip to main content

Romo won’t have much to build on for Dallas opener

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Tony Romo missed practice again Monday. It was hard to tell whether it was rest for his surgically repaired back or the first of a few days off, assuming the Dallas quarterback is finished for the preseason.

If Romo has taken his final exhibition snap, he and the Cowboys don’t have much to build on for the Sept. 7 opener against San Francisco. He led two ragged quarters in a 25-20 loss to Miami and isn’t likely to play against Denver on Thursday night.

Here’s all anyone needs to know about how the Dallas offense played in Romo’s second game since surgery for a herniated disk last December. The Cowboys were pleased to see his back hold up through three sacks and another knockdown.

“The negative plays, the sacks, certainly were an issue for our offense,” coach Jason Garrett said. “Some holding penalties, some stuff that got us behind the chains, kept us out of rhythm. When you kind of pull back, you say, ‘OK, there were some good things here.’ There were some good individual performances.”

The highlight for the first-team offense was a fourth-down conversion from Romo to Dez Bryant to set up the first Dallas field goal. The Cowboys were in position to go to halftime feeling a little better about things, but a penalty and a sack forced them to settle for another field goal.

Now Romo figures to be watching the backups and the battles for final roster spots against the Broncos after getting 34 snaps in Miami. He had 41 snaps in his most extensive preseason action last year, when he was four months removed from surgery to remove a cyst from his back.

“I think each year is a little different,” said Romo, who was 10 of 18 for 84 yards. “If we would have probably scored in the first drive or two we might have been done at 28 or 30. It was good to kind of play a half and just kind of get in that mode and kind of work out some of the road communication things that came up.”

One drive against Miami ended when Romo threw behind Cole Beasley and the sure-handed receiver couldn’t hang on. A young offensive line that’s drawn praise throughout training camp led to most of the other glitches.

Two of the sacks on Romo included penalties on offensive linemen that were declined, and a holding call on Pro Bowler Tyron Smith doomed another possession.

“It’s a matter of inches,” center Travis Frederick said. “And the things that we were off on, it wasn’t as if this guy missed his block and that’s why the play didn’t work. It’s really the tiny stuff and it’s things that easily are correctable and things we’ve already worked on in practice.”

After the Miami game, owner Jerry Jones suggested the offensive line might need more work against the Broncos. If the group that includes three first-round picks in the past four years doesn’t play, the question becomes whether the linemen are ready.

“Yeah, everybody needs the work,” Garrett said. “We talked about that after the game. If at any point you think like, ‘OK, we’re ready,’ we’re not ready. We’re never going to be ready. You’re always trying to get more ready. That’s the approach we take.”

And because Romo’s preseason is likely finished, the bigger question is whether he’s ready.

“This is the same kind of schedule that we’ve done in the preseason, so it doesn’t feel all that different than any other year,” the 34-year-old Romo said. “I think with obviously with coming off of surgery you’re going to always talk about that, but that’s part of the game.”

NOTES: FB J.C. Copeland and DE Martez Wilson were waived a day before the roster has to be trimmed to 75 players. … DT Henry Melton (groin) and CB Morris Claiborne (shoulder) did some work in a limited practice, but it remains unclear whether they will get their first preseason action against Denver. … DT Terrell McClain (ankle) said he doesn’t expect to play against the Broncos but hopes to ready for the opener against the 49ers.

___

Online:

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

___

Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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
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