Full New York Giants Awards at Halfway Point of 2014 Season

Who says 3-5 teams don't get awards?

There are (were) some winners scattered among the losing New York Giants. Amid the rubble, these are the few who managed to shine—at least until the season's midpoint.

In this article, I've doled out six individual awards (no repeat recipients):

• Most Valuable Player
• Offensive Player of the Year
• Defensive Player of the Year
• Rookie of the Year
• Newcomer of the Year
• Comeback Player of the Year

Check my selections for each superlative, and be sure to add your own original awards for the 2014 Giants in the comments section below. I challenge you to get as creative as possible.

MVP: Eli Manning

Uncredited/Associated Press

The Giants' ever-unflappable quarterback is the team's most valuable player for the first half of the season.

New York's offense has not been good in recent weeks, but that hasn't been Manning's fault. The steadfast passer is watching his offensive line deteriorate before his very eyes, and his skill positions are currently led by a couple of rookies (running back Andre Williams and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.).

In his first year in a new offense, Manning has made the most of his less-than-ideal situation. In fact, he's on pace to have one of his best seasons as a professional.

Through eight games, Manning has racked up 1,932 yards. He almost certainly will fall short of his career-high yardage mark (4,933, set in 2011), but his completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio are far more impressive figures.

Manning has completed 62.5 percent of his passes in 2014. The only time he has maintained a rate that efficient for a full 16-game season was in 2010, when he completed 62.9 percent of his passes. For his career, Manning has a 58.7 completion percentage.

He has thrown 16 touchdown passes. If he keeps up that rate in the second half of the season, Manning will break his career-high mark of 31 set in 2010. In addition, he has only thrown five interceptions, only one of which has come in his past six outings. Manning's lowest pick total for a full season is 10 (2008).

It's remarkable how much statistical success Manning has experienced this season while the team as a whole has experienced so little. It really makes you wonder where these Giants would be without a quarterback like him.

Offensive Player of the Year: Larry Donnell

Uncredited/Associated Press

There aren't many options to chose from for Offensive Player of the Year with Eli Manning already selected for MVP. Running back Rashad Jennings looked like he could be this player for the Giants until he was injured against the Atlanta Falcons; perhaps he'll take over where he left off when he's finally healthy again.

In the meantime, we'll go with tight end Larry Donnell here.

Donnell hasn't been perfect but is proving himself to be a pretty difficult pass target to defend. Manning likes throwing to him, especially in the red zone, where the Giants can take advantage of Donnell's size (6'6", 265 lbs).

Manning has found Donnell in the end zone for a touchdown five times this season—the most for any New York pass-catcher. Donnell's 37 catches are one shy of the team lead currently held by Rueben Randle. He also trails just Randle for the team lead in receiving yardage with 357.

Donnell is on pace to become the first Giants tight end to record at least 70 catches and 700 yards in the same season since Jeremy Shockey did it as a rookie in 2002. The only concern when it comes to Donnell's game is his ball security.

Tight end was supposed to be one of New York's glaring offensive deficiencies this season. Instead, Donnell has transformed the position into the least of the Giants' worries.

Defensive Player of the Year: Prince Amukamara

Uncredited/Associated Press

Cornerback Prince Amukamara has been the Giants' most impressive defender through the first eight games of the season. The fourth-year man won't have a chance to improve in the second half, though, as Amukamara (bicep) was lost for the season during New York's most recent outing.

The Giants' built a tremendous secondary around Amukamara this offseason that has all but collapsed since. Before Amukamara's injury and the utter decimation of New York's defensive backfield, the young cornerback was flourishing, looking like one of the best cover men in the league.

Opposite a sometimes-injured Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Amukamara was always stifling. He led the team with 11 passes defensed, an average of more than one pass breakup per game. Three of those passes Amukamara was able to intercept—a figure that is tied with Antrel Rolle for the team lead.

Amukamara's value went beyond pass defense. The thick corner often came up to the line in run support and was reliable to hold the edge. His 2014 campaign came to a premature end with 45 tackles (37 solo).

Overcoming early career criticism, Amukamara was finally healthy and established as a leader in the Giants defense through the first eight games. It's particularly painful to lose a player like Prince for the remainder of the season.

Rookie of the Year: Weston Richburg

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Much like the Defensive Player of the Year, New York also lost its Rookie of the Year the last time it took the field. Offensive lineman Weston Richburg was making an early name for himself until an ankle injury forced him to the sideline.

Richburg was spotted on crutches after the game by Dan Graziano of ESPN.

Richburg started at left guard in each of the Giants' first eight games, filling in for an injured Geoff Schwartz. The second-round selection was drafted out of Colorado State to play center, but you wouldn't know based on the way Richburg has played guard. Even as a member of a subpar unit, the rookie is rarely at individual fault for excess pressure on Manning or a lack of room to run the ball.

The Giants never planned on beginning the season with Richburg in the starting lineup, making his rookie performance all the more impressive. No one could have guessed he would be New York's Rookie of the Year at the season's midpoint. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., running back Andre Williams and linebacker Devon Kennard were much more likely candidates when the 2014 season was still in its infancy.

Unless Richburg makes a speedy recovery, a different rookie must step up in the second half of the season to claim his role. Williams has had his chances in the starting lineup but has made little of them. Beckham is the odds-on favorite to become that player in the Giants' final eight games.

Newcomer of the Year: Jameel McClain

Uncredited/Associated Press

The Giants made more moves in free agency last spring than they had in all of Jerry Reese's years as general manager combined, or so it seemed. An underrated signing of his ended up yielding New York's Free Agent of the Year: linebacker Jameel McClain.

The Giants didn't appear to have a pressing need at linebacker when McClain was signed, but Reese had more foresight than the average fan. He knew that Jon Beason dealt with injuries to his lower extremities throughout his Carolina Panthers career and that there was a chance New York could be without its newfound middle linebacker in 2014.

That ended up being the case.

Beason was in and out of the lineup for the first half of the season, ultimately landing on injured reserve while the Giants were enjoying a bye week. McClain has provided a nearly seamless transition from Beason, avoiding a drop-off that would have been imminent had Mark Herzlich been the man to take over the middle of New York's defense.

McClain has accumulated 47 tackles (25 solo) so far this season, trailing only Jacquian Williams in that category. Three of the former Baltimore Raven's tackles have been for a loss; he has a half-sack and two passes defensed, as well.

Look at Beason, and it's hard to imagine larger shoes for McClain to fill, but in this case they fit him quite well.

Comeback Player of the Year: Will Beatty

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Will Beatty is only having an average year, but even that is a major upgrade from the abysmal season he had last year.

Instead of giving up multiple pressures per game, Beatty has trimmed it down to just a handful throughout the first half of the season. In fact, the sack he gave up in New York's last outing was his first egregious lapse in protection in quite some time.

Eli Manning is probably more deserving of this award, but he's already the team's MVP, and if he wasn't MVP he'd be Offensive POTY. It should, technically, go to safety Stevie Brown, who missed all of last season to a torn ACL, but the only highlight of Brown's comeback tour to date is his early season benching. Not a lot of players were held over from last season, though. Suddenly, all we're left with is Beatty.

We'll go with it for now.

The offensive line remains New York's most pressing offensive problem, and no immediate solution lies in plain sight (Geoff Schwartz should provide moderate relief). Yes, the Giants' starting left tackle has improved since last season, but the biggest issue with Beatty remains unchanged—his salary.

Beatty is slated to earn $4.85 million this season, followed by $4.4 million in 2015, $6.625 million in 2016 and $6.775 million in 2017, according to Rotoworld.

Like I said, we'll let Beatty hold this honor for now. If he is truly to become New York's Comeback Player of the Year, the Giants will need a lot more out of him. Right now, all five of New York's starters combined aren't worth the money Beatty's making on his own.

All statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.