Skip to main content

Jets’ Rex Ryan: Geno Smith is ‘our quarterback’

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Rex Ryan and the New York Jets have plenty of questions they need answered.

The status of their starting quarterback is not one of them. At least as far as the coach is concerned.

“I think everybody’s behind Geno,” Ryan said Tuesday. “He’s our quarterback and our football team believes in him, so that’s it.”

The vote of confidence comes as the Jets are off to a 1-2 start following a 27-19 loss on Monday night to the Chicago Bears.

Smith had a rough game, with one of his two interceptions — on his first throw of the game — returned for a touchdown.

The second-year quarterback had a few other throws nearly picked off, and some of the suspect decision-making that marked his rookie season showed up again at times. That all had some fans calling for the Jets to consider replacing Smith with backup Michael Vick.

“We’re happy that we have Mike Vick on this team,” Ryan said. “But, we believe in Geno. We understand that it wasn’t great and he made some mistakes, but we’ve just got to get better and we’ve got to learn from these and then move on.”

The Jets signed Vick in the offseason to give them insurance in case Smith stumbled this season after he went through an up-and-down rookie year. They gave Smith the majority of snaps with the first-team offense throughout the offseason and training camp, hoping he would continue to progress.

While three games might be premature to make a quarterback switch, the calls for Vick could start increasing — especially if Smith struggles again Sunday at home against Detroit.

In three games, Smith has three touchdown passes, four interceptions and five turnovers overall. And that comes after the Jets stressed with Smith all offseason about the importance of protecting the football.

“Here’s why I believe so much that Geno will improve: I’ve seen him improve,” the coach said. “I’ve seen him make huge improvements, from where he was last year and from how he progressed through the season, where he’s at. But I’ll say this: I think he’s going to continue to improve. I truly believe that.”

Smith isn’t the sole source of the Jets’ troubles early on. They scored one touchdown in six trips into the red zone against the Bears, and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg had some questionable play calls at times.

Despite Chris Ivory having success running the ball throughout — he had 44 yards on 10 carries — he was used sparingly late in the game. Chris Johnson ran 10 times for 34 yards and hasn’t looked like the explosive runner he was for so many years in Tennessee.

“Maybe Chris Ivory will get more time because he’s certainly running hard, he’s doing a great job out of the backfield and there’s not a whole lot of guys that want to tackle him,” Ryan said. “I mean, he’s done a great job. I think with Chris Johnson, it’s a matter of time before we get him going.”

The wide receiver spot is a bit uncertain because of the status of Eric Decker, who left the game with tightness in his right hamstring. He played only 12 snaps against the Bears after being questionable with the hamstring already ailing.

Ryan said Decker thought he was healthy enough to play, so they took a chance on him being able to perform. He caught one pass for 19 yards before pulling himself out of the game. Ryan said he’s hopeful Decker will be able to play against the Lions.

Top cornerback Dee Milliner sat out for the second time in three games, sidelined by a quadriceps injury after he dealt with a high ankle sprain that caused him to miss most of training camp.

His absence has caused the Jets to shuffle their secondary, converting safety Antonio Allen to cornerback and starting career backup Darrin Walls.

After dealing with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, the Jets’ secondary faces another big test in the Lions’ Calvin Johnson. Ryan is uncertain whether Milliner will play.

One bit of good news was the status of defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who left with an injured right knee that Ryan said isn’t serious.

“It looks like a contusion,” Ryan said. “We’ll see how he is. Possibly, he might miss (Wednesday), but I think he’s going to be fine.”

While some doubts grow outside the facility, Ryan remains steadfast in his assertion that the Jets will turn things around.

“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, and we don’t expect them to, and we certainly don’t feel sorry for ourselves,” he said. “But we’re excited about the opportunity in front of us. And I believe this team, this is a close team. And we’re going to keep working our tails off and find a way to get it done.”

___

AP NFL websites: 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