Jay Cutler and 4 NFL Players Proving the Haters Wrong

The media and fans love to pick on certain players. These guys have earned our ire for a variety of reasons.

Whether it's because they seem to have gotten more accolades than they deserve, don't give the kind of effort that we think they should or look sour (Cutler), some players just collect criticism like a philatelist collects stamps.

Here are five despised players who are proving the haters wrong this season.

Tony Romo Has Shown That He Still Has What It Takes to Lead the Cowboys

Romo has legions of detractors. Some doubt his ability to lead the Cowboys when the game is on the line. Others don't like his high-profile girlfriends (see Jessica Simpson).

The haters were fueled early in the season by a few bone-headed plays, like his inexplicable interception and a fumble late in their game against the New York Jets. 

But after a tough start to the season, Tony Romo is back on track with the Cowboys. He has a history of starting slow but then excelling in November. He seems to be staying true to form.

Now that he's recovered from a broken rib and has DeMarco Murray running the ball effectively, he isn't put in as many tough spots as he was early in the year. The Cowboys offense (like most teams') is much better when they can convert short third downs.

Romo is back to his normal efficiency at quarterback for the Cowboys and the haters have been silenced.

Ray Lewis Still Brings It at Linebacker for the Ravens

The heart of the Baltimore Ravens' defense, Ray Lewis has been a controversial figure since his involvement with a double-homicide in 2000.

Fiery and emotional, Lewis has remained effective on the field as his career enters its twilight. Some of his haters predicted that he'd be marginalized as he lost a step. That has not happened as of yet, however.

Lewis is still playing at an extremely high level. With two sacks and an interception this year, he is leading with his mouth AND his play on the field. Lewis' mouth is almost always running.

His haters' mouths have stopped, however.

Carson Palmer Is Starting to Revive a Stalled Career

Many pundits published screeds about Carson Palmer's decline in his final few years with the Cincinnati Bengals. Other experts excoriated him for holding out until the Bengals agreed to trade him.

Even though he got off to a rough start in his first action against Kansas City in Week 7 (he threw two picks in the fourth quarter), he has steadily improved with each week of action.

As he has gotten more comfortable with the speedy and athletic Oakland receivers, he has been able to put up good numbers and lead the team effectively.

In their win against the San Diego Chargers last week, Palmer looked at ease in the pocket as he guided the offense down the field.

His haters looked on with tight lips.

The Polarizing Tim Tebow Has Shown That He Can Win in the NFL

Perhaps no player in the NFL provokes as much controversy right now as Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.

From former players like Boomer Esiason (who said, "He can't play. He can't throw.") to media types like Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver (who reported that a Detroit Lions player called the Tim Tebow experiment "embarrassing"), Tebow has constantly been hated since he took the reins of the Broncos' offense from Kyle Orton against San Diego in Week 5.

Tebow has responded to the vitriol by winning four out of five games and doing enough with his unconventional talents to lead the Broncos to victory.

Don't look at his passing stats. They are as ugly as they come. He's not going to impress anyone with his accuracy and footwork, but he makes plays in the clutch and runs the ball with authority off of the read-option offense.

The late game-winning drive against the New York Jets Thursday night only adds to Tebow's mystique. As he's added to his body of work in the NFL, the Broncos QB has quieted many of his doubters.

Jay Cutler Is Quietly Putting Together a Solid Season

Poor Jay Cutler. He looks sulky. He doesn't kowtow to the media to enhance his image. He has played for a Chicago Bears team with a porous offense that has given up a plethora of sacks.

All of these factors have assembled a large contingent of haters against Cutler.

Cutler has responded this season by putting up solid numbers and minimizing the turnovers that have dogged him for much of his career. A better offensive line and the amazing production of running back Matt Forte have helped him, but he is running the Bears offense very efficiently these days.

With a 58 percent completion, 11 touchdowns and only six interceptions, Cutler has the look of an upper-echelon quarterback. He has led the Bears to a 6-3 record and an inside track on a wild card spot. All the while, his critics have had to back off.

Here's a quick recap of these five hated players and why they are proving haters wrong. If you're interested, here is a poll by Forbes magazine that shows the ten most disliked NFL players. Only Romo and Palmer also appear on my list.

1. Tony Romo (He's guiding the Cowboys offense like a franchise quarterback should. And his Jessica Simpson liaison is almost forgotten.)

2. Ray Lewis (He still pumps up his team and levels opposing teams' players with a bounce in his step.)

3. Carson Palmer (With every week that passes under center with the Raiders, Palmer looks more and more comfortable in their offense.)

4. Tim Tebow (He just wins. It may not be pretty, but he gets it done.)

5. Jay Cutler (He has led the Bears back to prominence in the NFC.)