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Decker hasn’t been the same in NY so far

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Peyton Manning was sorry to see Eric Decker go and is glad he’ll be able to catch up with him Sunday.

With Emmanuel Sanders taking over for Decker in Denver, the Broncos are humming right along without the former Broncos receiver who caught an NFL-best two dozen TD passes over the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Manning is coming off a career-best 479-yard passing performance against Arizona, which is 405 yards more than Jets QBs Geno Smith and Michael Vick combined for in a shutout loss at San Diego last week.

Decker said he was under no illusions when he joined the Jets in free agency last offsea6son that New York would “all of a sudden become a power passing team.”

“I knew what the philosophy was here. I knew what challenges that we have,” Decker said in a conference call with Denver media. “Right now, we haven’t played very consistently. We haven’t done enough to win ballgames.”

The Jets (1-4) take a four-game losing streak into Sunday’s game against the Broncos (3-1) at MetLife Stadium, site of the Super Bowl, where Decker had one of the worst games of his career.

Lined up mostly against Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman, Decker caught one pass for 6 yards.

With big paydays for Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas on the horizon, the Broncos couldn’t afford to break the bank for Decker like the Jets did with a five-year, $36.5 million deal.

They were sad to see him leave.

“I know he was a very popular Denver Bronco for the way he played the game and I really enjoyed working with him,” Manning said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s one of the first guys that I threw to when I signed here in the spring of 2012. We developed a pretty good rapport early.”

And it paid off as Decker averaged 86 catches for 1,176 yards and 12 TDs in his two seasons with Manning.

“I was happy for him with how he was rewarded by the Jets and I sent him a text last week and if I get a chance to visit with him before or after the game, I look forward to it,” Manning said.

Decker looks forward to catching up, not just with old friends but production-wise.

After two injury-free seasons with Manning, Decker has been hampered by a pulled hamstring since training camp. He was taken out after getting just one catch against Chicago in Week 3 as a precaution and was held out last week against the Chargers.

He has just 14 catches for 204 yards and two TDs so far, not enough to help the Jets solve their offensive struggles.

“I’m not frustrated at all with the situation. It’s growing pains,” Decker said. “Obviously getting to know a new quarterback takes time, takes repetition, takes experience, and I haven’t helped myself being out with a nagging hamstring issue. I’m working to get back on the field.”

Decker said he wasn’t surprised or bothered that the Broncos didn’t make a big push to re-sign him last season. He said he loved Denver and would have liked to play his entire career in the Rocky Mountains but once the Broncos didn’t offer something before he became a free agent, he knew it was time to move on.

“I understand the business side of it and it’s a two-way street,” Decker said. “I’ve got all the respect for John Elway and that organization and what they’re doing. Obviously they’ve made good choices and I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated or mad that they didn’t (re-sign him) but I would say I definitely enjoyed my time out there.”

And he’s starting to enjoy the Big Apple, too.

“It just takes time to get comfortable in a new environment but I definitely feel welcomed here as well,” Decker said. “I have great teammates, great organization. More ma-and-pa food opportunities out here I would say as far as Italian and some of the food might be just a little bit, I won’t say better, but you have more options. That’s a big difference and the weather in Denver; it’s hard to beat the weather in Denver. That’s something that was nice, too.”

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

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Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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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