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Bears, Jets meet after opposite fates last weekend

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Chicago Bears and New York Jets were on opposite ends of impressive comebacks last weekend.

A 17-point deficit at San Francisco was no big deal for Jay Cutler and the Bears. An 18-point lead at Green Bay wasn’t enough for Geno Smith and the Jets.

“For the most part, we played a clean game,” Smith said, “but just didn’t come away with enough big plays to win the game.”

The Jets (1-1) were up 21-3 in the second quarter last Sunday, but they missed opportunities to put Green Bay away. Jordy Nelson’s 80-yard touchdown catch put the Packers ahead to stay 31-24 — but not before the Jets had a chance to pull off a comeback of their own.

With the game on the line and New York facing a fourth down late in the fourth quarter, Smith connected with a leaping Jeremy Kerley for a tying 36-yard touchdown. Or, so it seemed.

It was wiped out by an ill-timed timeout called by the Jets from the sideline just before the play.

“It didn’t count,” said Smith, who needed two days to get over the loss. “That’s all I can say about it.”

Meanwhile, the Bears (1-1) were looking at a dismal 0-2 start as they fell behind 17-0 in the second quarter in the San Francisco 49ers’ brand-new Levi’s Stadium.

The more than 70,000 fans were thrilled — until, of course, Cutler led the Bears back by outscoring the 49ers 28-3 the rest of the way for a 28-20 victory.

“We’ve got to utilize those moments of adversity to say that we’ve been through this and it helps build some backbone for our football team, some confidence,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “It doesn’t guarantee that, but it certainly is a good sign that we can work toward that direction.”

Here are a few things to watch as the Bears and Jets meet on Monday night:

ON THE RUN: New York enters as the first team since Minnesota at the end of the 2007 season to lead the NFL in both rushing offense and rushing defense at the end of any week.

The Jets lead the league with 179 yards per game to start the season, with the handoffs spread out in the backfield. Chris Ivory has 145 yards and two TDs on 23 carries, Chris Johnson has 89 yards on 25 runs and Bilal Powell has carried five times for 20 yards. Smith has been more mobile this season, already running 17 times for 64 yards and a score.

PEANUT FREE: Chicago’s secondary took a big hit when it lost veteran cornerback Charles Tillman to a torn right triceps for the second straight year.

Without the man the Bears call “Peanut,” rookie Kyle Fuller will see a lot more action. The 14th overall draft pick in May was impressive last week, getting interceptions on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter.

COVER THREE: With the Jets still working through issues in their secondary, the Bears will provide a huge challenge with their two big wide receivers.

The 6-foot-4 Brandon Marshall has 13 catches for 119 yards with four touchdowns, including three at San Francisco. The 6-foot-3 Alshon Jeffery has eight catches for 118 yards. Both were productive against the 49ers despite being question marks because of injuries: Marshall with an ankle injury; Jeffery with an ailing hamstring.

The Jets will also have to be aware of 6-6 playmaking tight end Martellus Bennett, who leads the Bears with 15 catches and has two TDs.

HOLMES-COMING: The game marks the return of wide receiver Santonio Holmes to MetLife Stadium against his former team.

Holmes played the last four seasons with the Jets, a span that was marked by injuries and questions about his attitude. Jets coach Rex Ryan disagreed with the notion that Holmes was a divisive presence in the locker room at times.

“You know what? He’s not perfect, OK? But nobody is,” Ryan said. “I appreciated Tone for being who he is. He means well and he plays his butt off. I appreciated it.”

Holmes signed with the Bears in the offseason, and has four catches for 41 yards in a limited role so far.

MARSHALL CASE: With off-field issues dominating the news around the league, a case involving Marshall a few years ago resurfaced during the week.

The father of a woman who once dated Marshall recounted abuse allegations in a news conference, and claimed he wrote the NFL about his daughter’s case but never got a response. Marshall, playing for Denver at the time, served a one-game suspension in the case in 2008.

“Brandon has the full support of the Chicago Bears,” general manager Phil Emery said in a statement.

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AP Sports Writer Andrew Seligman in Lake Forest, Illinois, contributed.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://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
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