Skip to main content

Bye provides break for Saints’ beleaguered defense

By WTOP Staff

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It hasn’t been that long since Rob Ryan was the toast of the Big Easy.

The Saints’ defensive coordinator was a regular at an old, no-frills corner bar in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood after home victories last season. He’d bask in the adoration of patrons who celebrated his success turning around a defense that had been dismal before his arrival.

Yet, during the first five weeks of this season, the performance of Ryan’s unit has more often been a source of disillusionment among fans taking to talk radio and social media to vent their frustration.

“I don’t blame them for hating me right now,” Ryan said recently.

“They’ll be fine,” he added, hopefully. “This is New Orleans. They love the Who Dats.”

At 2-3 as they break for their bye, the Saints have so far failed to meet expectations they would improve on their 11-5 record. The 2013 squad posted the franchise’s first road playoff victory before falling in Seattle to the eventual Super Bowl champs.

The defense ranked fourth in yards allowed in 2013. So far this season, the Saints are allowing nearly 380 yards per game, which ranks 25th, and 28.2 points per game, which ranks 28th.

Incidentally, Ryan’s travel plans for the bye week represent a significant departure from last year, when he and his wife went to Key West. This week, Ryan said, he was going to visit his father, Buddy Ryan, who was renowned for his defensive acumen as both a coordinator and head coach.

This might be a good time for some fatherly advice.

“We still need to tackle better, but the energy is there. Guys are playing hard,” Ryan said. “We want to be a better defense than this and it’s just going to keep taking a lot of work.”

The addition of three-time Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd, an interception machine when he was with Buffalo, hasn’t worked out as hoped. Byrd forced a fumble but had yet to intercept a pass before his season ended with a knee injury in practice on Oct. 2.

Meanwhile, the pass-rushing tandem of end Cameron Jordan and outside linebacker Junior Galette, who combined for 24 1/2 sacks in 2013, got off to a slow start. Ryan said that was because opposing passers have unloaded the ball about a half-second quicker, on average, than a season ago.

“That’s a big difference,” said Ryan, whose unit has six sacks so far.

“People constantly change their protections,” Ryan said. “With our success last season, with the two edge guys dominating like they did and the push up the middle, I think people have more plans to slow that down. But at the end of the day we need to get on this passer and we need to do it better.”

Coach Sean Payton generally avoids assigning blame to a specific unit or personnel group for disappointing results. Payton said he would like to see the offense, for which he calls plays, help the defense by converting more third downs to extend possessions, and by converting more red-zone opportunities into touchdowns instead of field goals.

Still, with the ever-prolific Drew Brees at quarterback, Payton’s offense has annually ranked among the NFL’s best, and this season is no different.

After Week 5, New Orleans ranked first in yards per game (442.8) and 10th in points per game (26.4), doing it with balance. Running back Mark Ingram, who could return after the bye from a broken hand, averaged 6 yards per carry in the first two games. Khiry Robinson has averaged 5 yards per carry in Ingram’s absence and scored an 18-yard touchdown in overtime to beat Tampa Bay.

The Saints weren’t far from being 4-1. In each of their first two games, they lost slim leads inside the final 10 seconds on the road. Each time, the defense couldn’t get a stop after both Atlanta and Cleveland began their final possessions of regulation in their own territory.

Fortunately for New Orleans, no team is running away with the NFC South. New Orleans emerged form Week 5 in second place in the division, one game behind Carolina (3-2), with 11 games still remaining, including two against the Panthers.

Payton wanted better results, particularly with a seemingly tougher stretch of games coming up, starting at Detroit in Week 7. Yet the coach said he also wasn’t surprised to see a few mistakes turn what could have been a promising start into a less satisfying one.

“It is always challenging to win in our league,” Payton said. “You learn about your team and then you quickly go into making the corrections and trying to improve.

“We are still at that early part of the season where it is going to be critical that we continue to make the improvements necessary to catch up and put ourselves in a winning position,” Payton added. “That is where we are at right now.”

___

AP NFL website: 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