ROTB Roundtable: Player Opinions, Strongest and Weakest Links, and Playoff Push

But that doesn't mean they're without conflict.  The ROTB Writing Staff took on three questions surrounding the team in this week's Roundtable edition.

Don't forget to answer the questions yourself in the comments below!

1) Which player has impressed you most thus far in the season?  Who are you most disappointed with?

Jesse Reynolds: I'll probably be leading the bandwagon in this but it has to be Tony Jefferson. While this week showed some of it is scheme, most of it has to do with his execution of it. He has made some mistakes but for an UDFA he has been great and looks like a guy deserving snaps.

Most disappointed is Jonathon Cooper, he had a year and some and despite all that ime lost his job to a journey man guard. Larson started the season well but lately has struggled, he needs to earn his spot and help this team run the ball.

Alex Mann: Ted Larsen has been excellent in my opinion, but I have to give it to Stanton. He came in and won games. He didn't cost us any chances to win games, and he made plays when they were needed.

Skii: My most impressed has to be Chandler Catanzaro.  He's currently perfect on the season for FGs (14-14) as well as extra points, and he's been excellent on kickoffs, an area where Jay Feely faced criticism.  He's also just two FG's away from breaking the record for most consecutively made FGs to start a career.  As for most disappointed, I agree with Jesse, I thought Cooper would be starting by now in the season, and for as high as he was drafted, I expected more (though this may not be entirely his fault).

2) What is the team's strongest and weakest link at this point?

Jesse Reynolds: Strongest has to be the secondary. Peterson and Cromartie have had bad days but some of that has to do with the lack of a pass rush. Powers has turned it around from a poor start with three INTs and has looked like the best DB these past two games. Rashad Johnson and Jefferson have been stout but also have been too aggressive and have missed tackles. Overall though I'm pretty pleased with their play considering the difficulty of the scheme.

I am most disappointed with the play of the guards, we need a run game to beat Seattle and so far they have been the weak link. Arians put them on blast this week and so I hope to see some improvement against the Raiders.

Alex Mann: Strongest link is the way the offense is built. You have five guys up front who play well together, a quarterback who's 100% in touch with his receivers, and a running game that has the ability to go off at any moment. Weakest link would be the lack of pass rush, which leads to big plays in the secondary.

Skii: Despite the horrendous game against Denver, I still think the receivers are our strongest unit.  With Palmer back, Fitz and Floyd are about the best 1-2 combo we could ask for, and the WRs to back them up aren't shabby either (Brown, Ginn, etc.).  Plus, Ellington is always there to provide an extra receiver.  The weakest would have to be either the pass rush (although Alex Okafor showed some promise last week), or the O-line's run-blocking.

3) Are you confident that the team can continue their playoff push, and stay in 1st place?

Jesse Reynolds: I am less confident than I was after beating the 49ers but more confident after the run defense showed up against the Redskins. We need Campbell back, he lead the league in run stops as a 3-4 DE and if Oakafor can emerge as a pass rush threat opposite of him we may be able to generate some pressure which would greatly help our DBs. I think we are a ten win team right now but will that be enough? We shall see.

Alex Mann: Yes. I had them ready to go 11-5 for the season, possibly 12-4 (It's somewhere on this site) and I stand by that theory.

Skii: The injuries on defense have tempered some of the hype I had after we started 3-0, but I'm still confident that, if Tyrann Mathieu and Okafor can continue their improved play, Palmer's shoulder problems don't return, and Calais Campbell has a quick and full recovery, the team will make the playoffs, whether that's by winning the division or earning a wildcard spot.