Bleacher Report's NFC East Award Ceremony

MVP: Giants QB Eli Manning

2011 stats: 359-for-589 (61 percent), 4,933 yards, 29 TD, 16 INT, 92.9 passer rating

Eli[te] backed up the talk from earlier in the season with a solid performance, falling just 67 yards short of a 5,000-yard season. He also set a regular season record with 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes, and set a complete season record with eight game-winning drives.

For all of his accomplishments, it was his performance in the postseason that set him apart. In four playoff games, he threw for 1,219 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception while compiling a passer rating of 103.3.

The comparisons about Eli and Peyton Manning will rage on, and though they are unwarranted, there is one advantage Eli has over his brother: a strong defense. It took Peyton nine years to win one Super Bowl, and Eli has already won two Super Bowls in his eighth year. There is plenty of time for Eli to add to his legacy, and though it may seem impossible for him to step out of his brother's shadow, he's certainly headed in the right direction.

Defensive Player of the Year: Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware

2011 stats: 48 tackles (10 assists), 19.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery

Were it not for Manning's elite performance, Ware would have earned the MVP honors. He was held without a sack just four times and had multiple sacks five times in 2011. He also had an utterly dominant performance against the Eagles, with four sacks on Michael Vick. As long as DeMarcus Ware is on the team, Rob Ryan doesn't have to worry too much about getting a big-time pass rush.

Rookie of the Year: Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray

2011 stats: 164 carries, 897 yards, 2 TD, 26 receptions, 183 yards, fumble

Murray didn't exactly burst onto the scene, but as soon as he got his shot at the starting job, he took it and never looked back. He set a Cowboys single-game record with 253 rushing yards in just 25 carries (10.1 YPA) against the Rams.

The Cowboys now have a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield with Murray and fourth-year running back Felix Jones. 

It's a wonder the Cowboys don't run the ball more, especially since they're so effective at it as a team (4.4 YPA ranks ninth in the NFL). That's what happens when you have a pass-happy head coach and bevy of firepower at receiver.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Redskins LB Ryan Kerrigan

2011 stats: 41 tackles (23 assists), 7.5 sacks, interception (TD), 4 forced fumbles

Ryan Kerrigan was consistently in the face of opposing quarterbacks. There's still work to be done in run defense and in coverage for a Purdue defensive end that had never played linebacker before, much less in the NFL. He laid the foundation with a solid rookie season, though, and will improve with time.

Comeback Player of the Year: Giants WR Victor Cruz

2011 stats: 82 receptions, 1,536 yards, 9 TD

Victor Cruz's breakout 2011 season began in the 2010 preseason, when he burned the Jets for six catches, 145 yards and three touchdowns. He suffered a hamstring injury that put him on the shelf for the 2010 season, but he returned with a vengeance in 2011. He helped the Giants win a Super Bowl with 21 total postseason receptions for 269 yards and a touchdown.

Most Improved Player: TIE—Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul & Cowboys WR Laurent Robinson

2010 stats: 17 tackles (5 assists), 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries

2011 stats: 71 tackles (23 assists), 16.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, safety

Coming out of South Florida, Pierre-Paul was regarded as a raw player full of athleticism. He had only begun playing football in his junior year of high school, but he has quickly learned the game. He made a huge leap from 2010 to 2011, nearly quadrupling his sack total and more than quadrupling his tackle total. The sky's the limit for JPP.

2010 stats: 34 receptions, 344 yards, 2 TD

2011 stats: 54 receptions, 858 yards, 11 TD

What a difference a change of scenery can make. For Laurent Robinson, it was as easy as heading from the San Diego Chargers to the Dallas Cowboys. It didn't take Tony Romo long to find a new favorite target, as he hit Robinson seven times for 116 yards in their second game together. The Cowboys have one of the most explosive attacks in the NFL, and that's thanks in large part to play making receivers like Robinson.

Coach of the Year: Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin

To say there were doubts about Tom Coughlin's future in New Jersey would be a drastic understatement, but Coughlin proved as immune to the hot seat as Twinkies to a nuclear holocaust (unconfirmed). He proved his ability to get his team hot at the right time, and despite an underwhelming regular season in which they were outscored 400-394, the Giants became the first team to ever win a Super Bowl with a 9-7 record.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter.