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Jones-Drew sits out 2nd practice with injured hand

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Oakland Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew missed his second straight practice with a right hand injury, putting his status for Sunday’s home opener against Houston in doubt.

With Jones-Drew sitting out once again on Thursday, Darren McFadden and Latavius Murray shared the running back duties in practice.

Jones-Drew said he had a “minor procedure” done on his hand and does not consider the injury serious. Jones-Drew hurt a finger in a preseason game against Detroit last month and says the injury has lingered the past few weeks before getting worse in the season opener against the New York Jets.

Jones-Drew had a bandage on his swollen hand. He said he could carry the ball in his left hand if necessary but that other aspects of playing would be more difficult.

“It’s more than that,” he said. “It deals with blocking. You have to be able to use both hands and block, obviously catch the ball. You want to be able to protect your quarterback as well as yourself. There’s a lot of things that go into it.”

Coach Dennis Allen refused to answer any questions about the injury or Jones-Drew’s status for Sunday, saying only that he did not practice on Thursday.

While no decision has been made about whether Jones-Drew will play against the Texans, offensive coordinator Greg Olson is already preparing for his absence.

“Last week we wanted to see Maurice Jones-Drew in a full-time role,” Olson said. “This week, I don’t know if we’ll see that. We’ll start with Darren and it probably will be more series wise with Latavius and Darren.”

Jones-Drew struggled in his Raiders debut, rushing for 11 yards on nine carries. Jones-Drew actually had negative yards for the game before a 12-yard run on his final carry in the closing minutes.

In all, the Raiders were held to 25 yards on 15 carries in the 19-14 season-opening loss to the New York Jets after spending the offseason vowing a return to a power-running team.

“I wasn’t happy with the end result,” Allen said. “But I thought overall if we had been able to continue to run the ball I think we would have had some success doing that. We got away from it a little bit. I still feel confident that we’ll still be able to run the football and run the football effectively.”

McFadden is seeking a resurgence this season after averaging just 3.3 yards per carry the past two years — second lowest in the NFL to Rashard Mendenhall.

McFadden had just four carries in the opener for 15 yards as he got limited playing time behind Jones-Drew.

“You want to get a few carries to get yourself going pretty good,” he said. “But we didn’t have many offensive plays, we didn’t get many carries, so it was one of those deals where we just have to come back next week and try to improve on it.”

The injury also could give Murray a shot at his first NFL carry. Murray, a sixth-round pick out of Central Florida in 2013, sat out his entire rookie season with an ankle injury.

Murray showed signs in the preseason of being a capable power back, but only played on special teams in his first game as a pro last week against the Jets.

“I’m very eager,” he said. “It’s a big opportunity for me definitely to go out there and show these guys that I’m capable of getting the job done, especially if a guy goes down they can know that I’m ready to step up. I’m excited, especially with being out last year and this being the first game, the first real game, regular-season game, that I can go out there and see some action at running back.”

NOTES: CB Chimdi Chekwa (knee) was a full participant in practice and could be ready to regain his job as third cornerback. … LB Nick Roach remains limited nearly three weeks after sustaining a concussion in an exhibition game. Roach still has not been cleared to play in a game.

___

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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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