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Manning, Stafford hope to avoid mistakes in opener

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — By the time Eli Manning guided New York to a December victory at Detroit, the Giants were out of playoff contention — and that loss knocked the Lions out as well.

As the 2014 schedule begins, Detroit wants to atone for its late-season slide, while the Giants are still smarting from an 0-6 start that they never fully recovered from.

“I know this team has always had an up-and-down, kind of rocky start, first half of the season in the years that I have been here,” Giants receiver Victor Cruz said. “We want to come out to a fast start and hopefully get this first win under the belt.”

The simplest way to avoid another 0-6 start would be to win the opener, but the Giants will be tested in a tough environment at Detroit on Monday night. The Lions are opening the season on a Monday night for the first time since 1971, and this will be Detroit’s first game under new coach Jim Caldwell.

The Lions bring back the same cast of dynamic offensive players. Matthew Stafford has thrown for at least 4,500 yards for three straight seasons, while wide receiver Calvin Johnson is healthier than he was down the stretch last year.

“We’re confident in our abilities and schemes, confident in each other, but at the same time we have to go out there and execute,” Stafford said. “On paper, we’re as talented as anybody in the league in my opinion.”

Here are a few things to watch when the Lions host the Giants:

NEW SYSTEMS: Caldwell’s hiring was viewed as an attempt to help Stafford progress to another level. Johnson is optimistic the offense is ready to produce right away.

“We don’t expect there to be a process. We took this thing by the horns since we got here back in April,” Johnson said. “Everybody has kept their heads in the books, getting to learn that playbook. Everybody has put a lot of time into this offense and we haven’t had a lot of mess-ups on film.”

The Giants, meanwhile, did not look good running their new West Coast offense during the preseason. Ben McAdoo is their new offensive coordinator after Kevin Gilbride’s retirement.

“We are a work in progress, no doubt about it. We have done some good things and we have done some bad things,” New York coach Tom Coughlin said. “Ben McAdoo is a solid, solid football coach that knows what he is talking about. Has an excellent system, applies himself every day, very smart; we are doing OK there.”

MISTAKE PRONE: Manning threw a career-high 27 interceptions last season, and Stafford was plagued by turnovers as the Lions lost six of their last seven games. Stafford had an interception returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of that December game, which the Giants won in overtime.

KEY MATCHUP?: The pressure is on Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to bounce back from two injury-plagued seasons, especially after New York lost defensive linemen Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph to free agency. Pierre-Paul faces a solid Detroit offensive line that includes four players who started all 16 games last season.

SECONDARY ISSUES: With cornerback Chris Houston and safety Louis Delmas both gone, the Lions have had to rebuild their defensive backfield a bit.

By contrast, the Giants’ secondary now looks like a strength after the acquisitions of cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond.

SMASHMOUTH: The Giants, plagued by injuries, had the league’s 29th-ranked rushing offense in 2013. But free agent addition Rashad Jennings and rookie Andre Williams could provide a boost. The question is whether the offensive line can effectively block Ndamukong Suh and Detroit’s interior defensive linemen.

“I think we’ve been running the ball well,” Manning said. “I think we need to get better in the passing attack, finding completions, hitting some big plays down the field. But I think we’ve been doing that in practice, we made some strides, made some plays. So we just have to keep protecting the ball, playing smart. We’ve gotten into pretty good third-down situations as of late, we’ve just got to convert them.”

Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley was demoted to a backup role during the preseason, but he’s back atop the depth chart now.

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

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Follow Noah Trister on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/noahtrister

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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