Skip to main content

Time for Bears ‘D’ to deliver starts with Bills

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — No more promises. No more vows.

It’s time for the Chicago Bears to put words to action and show that their rebuilt defense is ready to deliver as advertised.

They host the Buffalo Bills in the season opener this week hoping the big makeover starts to pay big dividends and set a course to the playoffs for just the second time in eight years.

They brought in five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen hoping he could spark a nonexistent pass rush and run defense after Chicago got trampled last season. He’s not the only addition to a defense that was one of the worst in franchise history.

The list includes end Lamarr Houston among others. The Bears are healthier, too, after being ripped apart by injuries, and they believe they now have the stoppers to back a prolific offense heading into coach Marc Trestman’s second season.

That starts on the line, particularly with Allen.

“I’ve been on some good defensive lines, and I feel just right there with them as far as comfortability level, knowing what we’ve got to do,” said Allen, who left Minnesota for a four-year deal with Chicago.

There is some uneasiness hovering in Chicago because the defense looked less than dominant during the preseason even when the starters played. And now, it counts.

The Bills are entering a new era after the death of founding father and Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson in March. They’re looking for more after three straight 6-10 seasons and 14 playoff misses in a row — the NFL’s longest active streak.

They acquired receiver Mike Williams in a trade with Tampa Bay last spring. They traded their 2015 first-round pick to Cleveland to move up five spots in the draft to take Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins at No. 4. They used three of seven draft picks on offensive linemen and added depth at running back — already a strength — by acquiring Bryce Brown in a draft-weekend trade with Philadelphia.

“It’s time for us to go out there and prove ourselves, and we got a great team to do it against,” running back Fred Jackson said.

Here are some things to look for in Sunday’s game:

MONSTERS AGAIN?: The Bears don’t necessarily need their defense to play like the Monsters of the Midway given the strength of their offense. They just need it to be more effective. Considering how bad it was last year, that shouldn’t be difficult.

The Bears ranked 30th overall and last against the run while tying Jacksonville with a league-low 31 sacks. They gave up 2,583 yards rushing and 5.3 per carry — both club records. But that was last year. They could have eight different starters from the finale against Green Bay in December. Allen (five), Jeremiah Ratliff (four), Lance Briggs (seven), Charles Tillman (two) and Tim Jennings (two) bring a combined 20 Pro Bowl selections.

MANUEL FOR IMPROVEMENT: If the Bills are going to break their playoff drought, their hopes hinge largely on Manuel. Though healthy after being sidelined three times last year with knee injuries, he hasn’t shown signs of taking a big step in his development.

He finished with a 4-6 record with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season after being selected 16th out of Florida State. He got a reminder this week that he still has a long way to go when teammates did not pick him for one of the six team captain spots.

FOR STARTERS … : It wasn’t a great preseason for the Bills’ starting offense. That group failed to score a touchdown on its first 18 possessions before reaching the end zone on consecutive third-quarter drives against Tampa Bay’s second string in a loss Aug. 23. The starters were also scoreless on three possessions in the finale against Detroit last week.

In all, they had four field goals and two scores on 23 possessions. That’s a concern considering all the moves the Bills made on offense.

TOP THAT: The Bears made huge strides on offense in their first year in coach Marc Trestman’s system. Can they top it?

Chicago leaped from 29th to fifth in passing and 28th to No. 8 in total offense in 2013. Jay Cutler had a career-high 89.2 rating, but he missed five games because of injuries. The last time he played a full 16 games was 2009, after the Bears acquired him from Denver.

DOMINANT D: Plenty of eyes will be on the Bears’ defense. But don’t overlook Buffalo’s.

A dominant front line has three returning Pro Bowl picks (Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus), and end Jerry Hughes had a career-high 10 sacks. They added linebackers Brandon Spikes and Keith Rivers in free agency. One concern: outside linebacker, with Kiko Alonso out with a season-ending knee injury, and replacement Nigel Bradham serving a one-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

___

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

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