Take 4 | Pitt News sports desk gives four quick takes before the weekend

Torrey Stafford is easily a national player of the year candidate // Matthew Scabilloni

Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford is hitting .393 from the left pin. That’s over .100 points higher than she hit last season as a first-year — an incredible improvement after missing the entire spring season because of leg surgery.

The .393 hitting percentage ranks first among all outside hitters in the NCAA and third in the nation among all pin hitters, only trailing behind Radford’s senior opposite hitter Sophie Paspal and Cincinnati’s senior opposite hitter Abby Walker — both who have played far easier opponents. 

Stafford may not get the same volume as last year’s National Player of the Year, Wisconsin fifth-year outside hitter Sarah Franklin or the Texas senior outside hitter Madisen Skinner get. But when Stafford is set, she makes a clear difference for the Panthers.

She’s leading the No.1 team in the nation in kills and points per set, and without her improvement from her first season with the Panthers, Pitt is not ranked No. 1. Besides her lack of volume because of Pitt’s impressive roster, Stafford is just as good if not better than the top players in the country.

Will it ever end? Chiefs with another late fourth quarter comeback win // Camille de Jesus 

It happened again. Football fans around the nation this week shook their heads and sighed as the Kansas City Chiefs turned what should have been a loss into yet another late fourth quarter comeback win.

In their most recent matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday, the Chiefs were down two points with about 40 seconds left on the clock. During what seemed like their last hope on fourth and sixteen, quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a pass intended for Rashee Rice, but Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony was there to break up the play. 

Anticipation of a Cincinnati win was squashed as a flag was thrown for pass interference, setting the Chiefs up for a field goal opportunity. Without missing a beat, Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker came on to drill a 51-yard game-winner for the team. 

A tale as old as time — the Chiefs taking home a late fourth-quarter win after a big penalty call. Was the flag justified, or is this just another case of the Chiefs getting bailed out by the refs late in the game? 

Joe Alt should win Offensive Rookie of the Year // Ari Meyer

Offensive tackle Joe Alt was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, filling a desperate need for a Los Angeles Chargers team that finished the 2023 season with a 5-12 record. 

Alt has made an immediate impact on the squad. Facing off against defensive end Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, Alt didn’t allow a single pressure from Crosby on quarterback Justin Herbert. When he faced Jadeveon Clowney of the Baltimore Ravens, he handed Clowney the lowest Pro Football Focus grade of his career, a 30.5 out of 100. 

Alt and the Chargers are taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers for their Week 3 matchup, where Alt will match up with former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt. If he can stop Watt from applying pressure this week, he should shoot up the ranks in the discussion for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Let Omar Khan earn the title of “Khan artist” first // Alex Porter

Steelers nation was ready for change when general manager Kevin Colbert retired after 22 seasons with the team. While the “Steeler’s Way” promotes stability and garners respect, it also greatly inhibits their adaptability. With Khan taking the reins in 2022, this all changed. The Steelers embraced the modern era.

The Steelers are stuck dragging their feet in the past. In a conference with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, the Steelers still believe a strong defense and a powerful run game will win them their seventh Lombardi. This strategy can only produce 9-8 seasons accompanied by Wild Card losses. Pittsburgh should prioritize the long-term future. 

The Steelers already botched the development of 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones, forcing him to play out of position for a slight short-term improvement. Additionally, Khan traded veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson with no real plan at hand. This created one of the worst receiving rooms in the NFL. 

For the most important position on the team, quarterback, Khan went to the clearance aisle. He signed Russell Wilson, who the Broncos paid $39 million to release, and traded for Justin Fields — a former first-round pick who was valued as a sixth-round pick.

But Khan’s plan may still work out. He’s intelligently prioritizing improving the trenches and has hit on a few late-round picks already. Just let him finish “cooking” before Steelers fans compliment the meal.