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Raiders’ Carr to make home debut vs. familiar foe

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Derek Carr has followed the Houston Texans closely since their start as an NFL franchise.

Carr’s big brother, David, was the first Texans draft pick back in 2002, and the younger Carr spent much of the first five years of the franchise hanging around the team.

He went to the games and practices, played catch with the mascot and hung around with NFL stars such as Andre Johnson.

Those will all be distant memories come Sunday when Carr takes on his brother’s old team in the home opener for the Oakland Raiders.

“These guys are trying to rip my head off,” Carr said. “I’m not thinking about being a kid watching those games. They’re coming after me.”

The Texans have had a close eye on the younger Carr for some time now. Johnson joined the Texans in their second year and built a relationship with Derek, giving him advice and watching his middle school games.

“It just shows you how old I’m getting,” Johnson said. “It should be fun. I can’t wait to get to talk to him.”

Derek followed in David’s path by starting the opening game of his rookie season. But he hopes to have more success than David, who never lived up to the billing of being the No. 1 overall pick in 2002. David Carr was sacked an NFL-record 76 times as a rookie on an overmatched expansion team and never really recovered.

The experience of watching his brother get battered and even booed at times didn’t dampen Derek’s love of Houston or the Texans.

“I loved Houston, I really did,” Carr said. “I still have some of my best friends from Houston that I talk to. Football-wise, with what happened with Dave, I mean they were an expansion team.”

Here are some things to watch when the Texans visit the Raiders:

STAYING SHORT: Carr had one of the strongest arms of any quarterback in the draft, but wasn’t able to show it much in a season-opening loss to the New York Jets. Only three of his 20 completions went more than 10 yards downfield and his average throw traveled just 5.2 yards ahead of the line — second shortest in the league last week, according to Pro Football Focus. Carr said that was a reflection of the defense more than conservative play-calling.

“It doesn’t always work out the way you want to,” he said. “But they were called and they’ll continue to be called.”

WORRIED ABOUT WATT: The Raiders’ revamped offensive line looked overmatched in the opener against the New York Jets when the team averaged 1.7 yards per carry and Carr faced the third-most pressure of any quarterback in the league. The task doesn’t figure to get easier this week when Oakland has to contend with Houston defensive end J.J. Watt. Watt had two tackles for losses including a sack, blocked an extra point, recovered a fumble, swatted down a pass and had five quarterback hurries in last week’s win over Washington.

“You can’t block him with all 11 of your guys,” coach Dennis Allen said. “You’ve got to eventually single him up some.”

FAST FINISHER: Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has some fond memories playing the Raiders having led game-winning drives in his only two meetings against Oakland. In 2011 in Buffalo, Fitzpatrick led the Bills to five TDs on five second-half drives, capped by a 6-yard TD pass to David Nelson with 14 seconds left in a 38-35 win. Then Fitzpatrick struck again last year for Tennessee, throwing a 10-yard TD pass to Kendall Wright with 10 seconds left in a 23-19 win.

AWESOME ARIAN: After missing the final eight games last season because of back surgery and sitting out the preseason as a precaution, Houston running back Arian Foster looks to be back in form. Foster, who is third in the NFL in rushing since 2010, ran for 103 yards in the opener to give a potent running threat that takes pressure off Fitzpatrick.

LECHLER’S LEG: Longtime Raiders punter Shane Lechler will return to the Coliseum for the first time since leaving for Houston as a free agent before last season. Lechler played his first 13 seasons in Oakland, winning three division titles and the 2002 AFC championship his first three years before going the final 10 without a winning record. Lechler was always a fan favorite and is looking forward to the return.

“They’re with you whether you’re down or not because the last 10 years I was there we were down pretty much every year,” Lechler said. “But the fan support was always there, strong.”

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AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this report.

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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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