NFL Awards at the Quarter Mark of the 2014 Season

With the NFL season one-quarter finished, there have been plenty of surprises across the league in 2014. 

Did anybody expect the Arizona Cardinals to be the last undefeated team in the NFC, especially after starting a backup quarterback twice? Who pegged the Dallas Cowboys as the most complete team in the NFC East after all of their defensive injuries during the preseason? Who expected the decline of Tom Brady to be so painful to watch?

It hasn't been a normal season—that's for sure. All the preseason powerhouse teams and players have had their fair share of struggles this year, leading to some very interesting choices for quarter-mark awards. They are as follows.

Most Valuable Player: Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts.

It's not a question of "if" Andrew Luck will become the best quarterback in the game. It's "when" he will become the best quarterback in the game.

He's been completely dominant this season, throwing for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's on pace to challenge Peyton Manning's 2013 single-season records. He also has the Colts at a 2-2 mark, after a slow start, and they boast the league's top-scoring offense.

Apologies to: Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, JJ Watt

Offensive Player of the Year: DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys.

Giving in to the unwritten rule that says the Offensive Player of the Year should be a player other than the league MVP, I'll go with Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray.

Through four games, Murray is on pace for some mind-boggling totals: 396 carries, 2,136 yards and 20 touchdowns. He's averaging 5.4 yards per carry and is the most consistent weapon, even with his fumbling issues, on the NFL's best surprise team this season. 

Apologies to: Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning

Defensive Player of the Year: JJ Watt, DE, Houston Texans. 

I've grown convinced that JJ Watt is not just the best defensive player in the NFL. He's the single best player in the sport and one of the most dominant defensive players in the game's history.

Quite simply, he's unblockable. He cannot be stopped one-on-one.

In Houston's win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, he recorded what is the highest single-game score in Pro Football Focus history. Watt collected nine quarterback hits to go with six hurries and four tackles. This season, he's recorded 17 quarterback hits, three batted passes and an interception touchdown. 

Apologies to: Cameron Wake, Kyle Williams, Harrison Smith

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers.

After the draft, I would not have considered the Carolina Panthers and Kelvin Benjamin a good fit. They've proved me completely wrong so far.

Benjamin is a legitimate No. 1 receiver for a team that desperately needed an upgrade at the position this offseason. Through four games, Benjamin has grabbed 21 passes for 329 yards and three scores. He's eighth in the league in receiving yards and tied for seventh in touchdown catches. Project his numbers over a full season, and he'll finish with 1,316 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Apologies to: Sammy Watkins, Isaiah Crowell, Joel Bitonio

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Kyle Fuller, CB, Chicago Bears.

Kyle Fuller has really done it all for the Bears through the first quarter of the season. He's been a legitimate playmaker, recording three interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles.

He's shut down opposing wide receivers, surrendering just a 56.3 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus. And he's played with the same reckless aggression that Bears fans grew used to with Charles Tillman over the last decade.

Apologies to: Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald

Comeback Player of the Year: Rolando McClain, LB, Dallas Cowboys

The Rolando McClain career revival has been nothing short of amazing.

A former top-10 draft pick by the Oakland Raiders, McClain was widely considered one of the biggest busts in recent draft history. The Cowboys only signed him after a slew of injuries at the middle linebacker position.

Against all odds, he's been a stud this year, rating as the top 4-3 inside linebacker in the game, per Pro Football Focus.

Apologies to: Julio Jones, Eli Manning, Jeremy Maclin

Breakout Player of the Year: Larry Donnell, TE, New York Giants. 

Did anybody see this coming from Larry Donnell? Did Larry Donnell see this coming from Larry Donnell?

Probably not. Actually, definitely not.

The Giants tight end has emerged as Eli Manning's go-to weapon, especially in the red zone, catching three touchdowns in a Thursday Night Football beatdown of the Washington Redskins.

Through four games, Donnell is on pace for 100 catches, 944 yards and 16 touchdowns. That would be a historic season by a player most hadn't heard of two months ago.

Apologies to: Joe Barksdale, Jelani Jenkins

Disappointment of the Year: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots.

The decline of Tom Brady probably started in 2013, but most, including me, wrote off his poor season as the result of subpar play by his supporting cast.

That was true then, and it's still true now.

But there's no denying that Brady has been a major disappointment. He's not the same player who won the league MVP in both 2007 and 2010. He's a shell of his former self. The patriots are locked into Brady's contract for several more seasons, and if they weren't, you'd have to wonder if they'd seriously consider trading him during the offseason.

Apologies to: LeSean McCoy, Joe Haden, Robert Quinn

Coach of the Year: Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys.

Jason Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys were written off during the preseason. Major injuries to their defense, a tough schedule, an aging quarterback coming off back surgery and the Philadelphia Eagles were expected to derail Dallas' season.

Instead, Garrett has held his team together through the first four games.

They're 3-1 and tied for first place in the NFC East, and they just delivered a beatdown of the New Orleans Saints on prime-time football that let the rest of the football world know that they'll be in the race for the rest of the season.

Apologies to: Bruce Arians, Marvin Lewis, John Harbaugh

Assistant Coach of the Year: Rod Marinelli, DC, Dallas Cowboys. 

Along with one of the game's most potent offenses, the Cowboys have surprised, even shocked, the world with their stingy defense.

Credit defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, who has had to overcome the loss of DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher to free agency, Sean Lee to a season-ending injury and Orlando Scandrick to a suspension. Oh, and the Cowboys also benched 2012 first-round corner Morris Claiborne.

Despite all their turmoil, they're ranked 10th in the NFL in points allowed. That's a testament to Marinelli, who should take home the league's first Assistant Coach of the Year award if his success continues.

Apologies to: Dave Fipp, Paul Guenther, Dan Quinn