Gillette Debate Question of the Week:
WHICH PLAYER HAS PERFORMED AGAINST ALL THE ODDS THIS SEASON?
Three people come to mind with this question:
- There are not many players who have been faced with more adversity than LB Thomas Davis. As you know Davis came off a 3rd ACL surgery to the same knee and not only played all season but played at a high level. Davis finished the season 2nd on the team in tackles with 103 (68 solo), 2 forced fumbles and one INT. If not for Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson I'm sure Davis would be getting some love for Comeback Player of the Year. We will just have to give him our love here at CSR!
- I would also say TE Greg Olsen faced major off the field adversity this season but still played at a high level. I'm sure you remember the health issues faced by his newborn child which would weigh on anyone's mind. Week in and week out Olsen was able to focus on playing while also tending to his family. Thankfully it all worked out for the best!
- My third person is HC Ron Rivera himself. After six games GM Marty Hurney was fired which immediately put Rivera's future in doubt. Though I'm sure he panicked at some point he never showed it and still not only managed to finish strong but improve upon his 2011 record, barely of course. More importantly his players stepped up and showed their appreciation for their coach:
Players help Rivera state his case
"We just put our arms around him and told him how much we cared about him and thanked him for his leadership," left tackle Jordan Gross said. "None of us know what is going to happen, but it was great to win.""The best thing we could do as a team to show how we felt about him and his coaching staff was with our play on the field," tight end Greg Olsen said. "For us to finish the season the way we did shows how much faith we have in Coach Rivera and in this organization and the direction we're heading." "We didn't make any decisions easy, that's for sure."
I think they make a pretty good case. Did I leave anyone out? Who do you think faced the most adversity this season?
Let the debate begin.