Other than them forcing an unnecessary "Batman" replacement.. Even shoving a "Robin" reference in to really drive that point home

okay, maybe after the bridge got blown up on him and he yelled.. But even that seemed like he was taking a calculated risk, not being a "hot head"

Gordon was injured, the 'new' chief was useless, Selina was in prison, Bruce was doing other stuff or imprisoned on the other side of the world. There wasn't anyone else, so Blake stepped up even though he wasn't sure he could do it. I feel like that was the whole point of his character; to show that while being a master thief and a billionaire with expensive toys gives you an edge against people like Bane, even ordinary people willing to do what's right can make a huge difference.

Blake stepped in to do what? When Bruce was on the other side of the world, Commissioner Gordon recovered. Even enough to take Blake by surprise and gun down two guys.. Selina was also released from prison at the same time Batman was sent away, so they were there to pass notes down to the cops that were trapped (though that would've been out of character for Selina)... or whatever it was Blake did.. He drove with the "father" and kids to try and cross the bridge, but that scene could've had the same impact if the father would have done what Blake did. Similar to the characters on the boat during the Dark Knight refusing to blow up the other boat.. The proof of ordinary people willing to do what's right, though they seemed more to be striving to make Blake more than ordinary (he's a hot head! We've told you three times! Hot head!!).. I guess he warned the other cops that they were going to get trapped underground.. Not that that accomplished anything, since they still got trapped.. Oh, he also tried to get them out through a sewer through a manhole.. Though that ended up getting a bunch of them killed (one shot, a bunch naded) and Batman just ended up freeing all the cops after saving Blake... So really, what good did Blake actually do?

Gordon was essentially public enemy #1 against Bane. Even considering the fact that his lies were what allowed the Dent Act to pass, most people would rally behind him because he kept the city safe. Selina was busy taking care of herself, as usual.

It wasn't just Blake's "ordinary" quality, it was the fact that he and Wayne were the same kind of person. He alluded to the fact early on when he mentioned the look on Wayne's face when he went to the orphanage and the whole "anger set in bones" deal. He also couldn't deal with the fact that to follow the law would mean being kept on a leash by glory hounds like when he was chasing Batman/Bane early on. At the end of the movie he mentioned that to Gordon when he talked about quitting the force.