Pittsburgh sports and NFL talk dominate this week’s Take Four

The Chiefs are running on luck // Ashley O’Doherty, Staff Writer

It’s no surprise that the back-to-back Superbowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, have one of the best records in the NFL. This season, however, looks a little different for the seemingly unstoppable Chiefs of 2023-2024. Despite still holding an 11-1 record, the Chiefs have won nine games by only seven points or fewer, each game a battle to the very end. As things still don’t fully click for the Chiefs offense, fans around the country have begun to attribute their success to luck.

Although the Chiefs have had some dominating plays on both offense and defense, there are multiple moments this season where pure luck was on their side. In the season opener against Baltimore, Raven’s Isaiah Likely had a winning touchdown overturned by a replay that showed his toe on the line beyond the end zone. In week eight, the Chiefs won the overtime coin flip and scored the game-winning touchdown against the Buccaneers. The Black Friday game against the 2-10 Raiders was no different.

In the fourth quarter, the Raiders had a chance to take the lead, only 2 points behind the Chiefs. The drive eventually ended with a missed field goal by Daniel Carlson, his third miss of the game. Kansas City eventually got the ball back but was unable to run out the clock, giving the Raiders another chance to win the game. The game ended, however, with quarterback Aidan O’Connell fumbling a snap in field goal range. The Raiders had everything they needed to beat the AFC leaders, but the Chiefs still managed to pull through.

With only five regular season games left, everyone seems to have the same question in mind — when will the Chiefs’ luck run out?

Saquon Barkley could be the first RB to win MVP since 2012 // Ava Nicholas, Staff Writer

Saquon Barkley is electrifying the NFL season, putting himself in serious contention to become the first running back to win the MVP award since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Barkley has taken his game to a new level with the Eagles, leading the team to a stellar record and establishing himself as the cornerstone of their offense.

Through 12 games, Barkley has amassed 1,499 rushing yards — 107 of which came from the Birds’ recent victory over the Baltimore Ravens. So far, Barkley completed 11 total touchdowns and averages a remarkable 6.2 yards per carry. The former New York Giant not only leads the league but also compares favorably to some of the greatest seasons by running backs in NFL history. 

Peterson won the award with 2,097 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, all while carrying the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs. Before him, LaDainian Tomlinson achieved this honor in 2006 by earning 1,815 rushing yards, 508 receiving yards and an NFL record 31 touchdowns during his time with the Chargers. 

Barkley is on track to break the NFL’s all-time single-season rushing record, and if he reaches his projected rushing yard total of 2,151 yards, I don’t know how the NFL could keep Barkley out of the MVP race. 

In an era dominated by quarterbacks, Barkley’s historic season could buck the trend of the award going to the guy under center. With the Eagles vying for the top seed in the NFC and Barkley on pace for over 2,300 scrimmage yards, his case for MVP is growing stronger by the week. The NFL might just crown its first running back MVP in over a decade. 

Pirates need boardroom overhaul for success // Joshua Prescott, Staff Writer

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ last World Series victory came in 1979, and the franchise has been in sharp decline since Bob Nutting assumed ownership in 2007, falling far short of the competitive teams of the past.

Prioritizing profit over performance, Nutting’s tenure is marked by a lack of financial commitment to retaining star players, as the Pirates’ payroll ranks second lowest in the league — approximately $77 million below the league average.

This low wage bill has contributed to talented players like Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole and Josh Bell getting traded or allowed to walk in their prime.

Despite strong player development and occasional glimpses of competitiveness, the Pirates’ revolving doors of talent prevent them from achieving sustained success. The revenue from the MLB’s profit-sharing system, combined with a loyal fanbase, appears to reduce the financial incentive to reinvest in long-term on-field success.

As long as Nutting prioritizes low spending with high returns, the Pirates will remain perennial underdogs. Frustrated fans will continue to hope this trend is reversed, with the retention of Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes potentially marking the turning point in the franchise’s decline.

Philip Tomasino trade already paying off for Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins // Alex Kiger, Staff Writer

Last week, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas took a chance on a young player from Nashville by the name of Philip Tomasino. A former first-round pick by the Predators in 2019, Tomasino strung together a solid rookie season in the NHL, putting up 32 points in 76 games during the 2021-22 season. 

His next two seasons were split between the NHL and the American Hockey League, playing a combined 72 games with the Predators and scoring 38 total points. But over that time, he fell out of favor with Nashville’s front office. This included new head coach Andrew Brunette expressing uncertainty about his place on the team’s roster after last season. 

Nashville ended up selling extremely low on the 23-year-old, shipping him off to Pittsburgh for a fourth-round pick in 2027. This was a tidy piece of asset management for Dubas and the Penguins. He traded Chad Ruhwedel, a defenseman in his mid-30s for a speedy forward who is more than a decade younger. 

It was a move designed to help the Penguins in their next contention window, but he is already making contributions to this year’s team. Through his first three games with the Penguins, Tomasino has already scored a pair of goals — both game-winners — scoring his first NHL goals since January 31 of last season, a big help for a currently last-place Penguins squad.