Bleacher Report's 2014 NFL Awards

Hard though it may be to believe, the 2014 NFL regular season has come and gone. Sunday's action marked the end of the line after 17 weeks.

Division champions have been crowned. The playoff field is set. So are the teams picking at the top of next spring's NFL draft.

Soon, it will be time for groups far and wide to start handing out individual hardware, culminating in the NFL Honors ceremony in Phoenix on Jan. 31.

However, here at Bleacher Report we didn't feel like waiting that long. With the holidays still fresh in their minds, the Division Lead and National Lead Writers here at Bleacher Report are ready to hand out some gifts in the form of the Bleacher Report 2014 NFL Awards.

So whether it's the league's most valuable player or the NFL's most dominant defender (who in many eyes are one and the same), here's a look the best of the best in the National Football League in 2014.

Coach of the Year

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Winner: Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals (14 votes)

Our first award is landslide city.

Of course, as NFC West Lead Writer Sean Tomlinson pointed out, given what Bruce Arians of the Arizona Cardinals has accomplished in his second year in the desert, it isn't hard to see why:

"

This should be the easiest Coach of the Year decision in a long time. At one point this season, the Cardinals defense was playing without pass-rushers who accounted for 28.5 sacks in 2013 (mostly because of injuries, with Daryl Washington's suspension and Karlos Dansby's free-agency departure not helping either).

On the other side of the ball, four Cardinals quarterbacks have taken meaningful snaps, and running back Andre Ellington went down in Week 13. For most teams, all of that would lead to a lost season. The Cardinals? They're somehow a playoff team.

"

As Arizona linebacker Sam Acho told Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com, part of Arians' success this year is due to his ability to connect with his players:

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He doesn't doghouse you. He believes in you. A lot of times when you make a mistake, you'll see a coach just keep ragging on you. But [Bruce Arians] believes in you. He's a great motivator, and he believes in his players.

"

Frankly, when you add in Arians' 2012 Coach of the Year performance in relief of Chuck Pagano in Indianapolis and last year's surprising 10-6 season for the Cardinals, it's hardly a stretch to say that Arians has been the NFL's best coach over the past three seasons.

Preseason Winner: Marc Trestman, Chicago Bears (four votes—seriously)

Midseason Winner: Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals (seven votes)

Others receiving votes: Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks (one vote)

Offensive Player of the Year

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Winner: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers (seven votes)

It's hardly surprising that Aaron Rodgers guided the Green Bay Packers to the NFC North title on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field on Sunday. After all, Rodgers has been nearly flawless at home this season.

However, the manner in which he did it added another chapter to his legacy.

After giving half of Wisconsin a heart attack by being carted off the field in the second quarter of the division title game with the Detroit Lions, Rodgers not only returned to the game to throw a touchdown pass in a 30-20 win, but Rodgers ran for a score as well.

That's just showing off.

That near-perfection at home I referenced?

How does a completion percentage of over 66 percent, 25 touchdown passes, zero interceptions and a passer rating of over 130 sound?

And over 4,300 passing yards for the season and a 38-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio?

It sounded like the Offensive Player of the Year to our experts.

Preseason Winner: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers (five votes)

Midseason Winner: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos (nine votes)

Others receiving votes: DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys (five votes), Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys (two votes), Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots (one vote) 

Defensive Player of the Year

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans (15 votes)

Speaking of landslides, this one's even less surprising than Arians running away with Coach of the Year.

In fact, as ESPN's Mike Sando (subscription required) wrote recently, there are more than a few people who think Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is more than just the league's best defensive player; they believe that Watt is the NFL's MVP in 2014 as well:

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Watt has 17.5 sacks, 9 batted passes, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles, 2 touchdowns on defense and 3 touchdowns on offense. His Pro Football Focus grade is 101.1. Sheldon Richardson is next among 3-4 defensive ends with a 35.1 grade, followed by Fletcher Cox at 28.2. That provides some context for Watt's dominance. He is the rare player who dominates whether he's lined up inside or out along the defensive front.

"

Watt added to those numbers with three more sacks in Week 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and while AFC South Lead writer Rivers McCown allows that there may be some argument about Watt's MVP candidacy, you'll get none where the Defensive Player of the Year vote is concerned:

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Whether you believe he has an MVP case or not, J.J. Watt is clearly the best defensive player in football. This is, frankly, one of the best starts to any defensive career that we've seen in a long, long time.

It helps that we live in an era where statistics like hurries, quarterback hits and batted passes are regularly accumulated, but in a league where levels continue to shift to the offense, there is only one player who has even come close to equalizing things on the other side of the ball.

Oh, and Watt leads defensive players in touchdowns too, if you just wanna care about that like we're in 1975.

"

You're not getting any argument regarding Watt's worthiness as the DPOY from any of the other voters, either.

After all, we have eyes.

Preseason Winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans (six votes)

Midseason Winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans (15 votes)

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Winner:  Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants (12 votes)

As Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Cian Fahey recently reported, it's been quite the first NFL season for New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.:

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After just 11 games in the NFL, Beckham has already proved that he can beat any caliber of defensive back in any type of coverage from any position on the field in multiple ways. His versatility and exceptional athleticism combined with his technique and consistency make him a special player.

Players are regularly called special these days. It's supposed to be a rare term, but the extremist nature of NFL opinion-making has made it relatively easy to earn this tag.

Like Andrew Luck a few seasons ago, Beckham is the rare rookie who really qualifies as a special player. What he has done to this point in his career is simply unbelievable.

"

Fahey has a point. Despite not playing over the first month of the 2014 season, Beckham has tallied 91 receptions, racked up over 1,300 receiving yards and found the end zone 12 times.

Then there was this catch against the Dallas Cowboys.

Yeah, the kid's pretty good.

Preseason Winner: Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints (seven votes)

Midseason Winner: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills (six votes)

Others receiving votes: Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (two votes), Zack Martin, OG, Dallas Cowboys (one vote)

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Winner: Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams (eight votes)

The entire St. Louis Rams defense got off to a slow start this year. Over the first month of the 2014 season, the Rams had only a single sack as a team.

That sack belonged to defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who has since proved to be worth every bit of the first-round pick it took for the Rams to acquire him back in May.

Donald's nine sacks rank second among defensive tackles. His Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rating of 29.8 through 16 weeks ranked first at the position.

Donald also earned a Pro Bowl nod, an honor that teammate James Laurinaitis told ESPN's Nick Wagoner wasn't the least bit surprising:

"

I think from day one since he got here everyone was impressed. I remember [Brian] Schottenheimer saying after the first week of OTAs this kid could be defensive rookie of the year. You just kind of saw it week by week as he got more comfortable and just put in there more and more and trusted more and more and he just continued to make plays and splash plays, tackles for loss, sacks, but as a D tackle, he’s very disruptive.

I love the way he goes about his business. He’s very quiet, takes pride in what he does. He did all that in college. It’s why he won a lot of awards. He’s doing the same thing up here, which is good to see.

"

Given the easy transition that Donald has made from college stud to NFL star-in-the-making, it's also hardly a big surprise that Donald earned a DROY nod from our experts.

Preseason Winner: Jadeveon Clowney, OLB, Houston Texans (nine votes)

Midseason Winner: C.J. Mosley, LB, Baltimore Ravens (eight votes)

Others receiving votes: Khalil Mack, OLB, Oakland Raiders (six votes), C.J. Mosley, ILB, Baltimore Ravens (one vote)

Rookie of the Year

Al Bello/Getty Images

Winner: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants (14 votes)

For the overall winner among all rookies, we're back to Beckham, who really hasn't looked much like a rookie in 2014.

Still, despite all the accolades Beckham has received already this season, Tom Rock of Newsday reported that there's still one thing the youngster wanted to accomplish heading into Week 17:

"

As Odell Beckham Jr.'s rookie season winds down, there isn't much more for him to accomplish. He's set just about every rookie receiving record for the Giants (and a few for the NFL as a whole), has become a mega-celebrity with a contacts list that now includes both LeBron James and Michael Jordan, and most likely will represent the Giants in the Pro Bowl in late January after being voted a first alternate.

But there is something he'd like to take care of in his final game of the season Sunday. Beckham leads NFL rookies in receiving yards (1,120), is tied with Miami's Jarvis Landry for the lead in receptions (79), and is tied with Tampa Bay's Mike Evans for touchdowns (11). To win that rookie triple crown would be, he said, "nice."

"That's always in the back of your mind," he said Friday after the final full practice of the season. "Jarvis called me the other day and we were talking about that. He was saying 'You gotta go hard Sunday!' I know how he's coming, I know how he is. It's a loving competition, so I'm looking forward to it."

"

Well, in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Beckham went off—again. Twelve catches, 185 yards, another touchdown and one more circus catch.

Mission accomplished.

Preseason Winner: Tie: Jadeveon Clowney, OLB, Houston Texans (six votes); Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints (six votes)

Midseason Winner: C.J. Mosley, LB, Baltimore Ravens (10 votes)

Others receiving votes: Zack Martin, OG, Dallas Cowboys (one vote)

Comeback Player of the Year

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Winner: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (seven votes)

Before the 2014 season began, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin turned down a relatively modest multiyear offer from the team.

Instead, Maclin inked a one-year "prove it" deal, confident that "with all we're going to go through this season, we can get something [long term] done," he told Phil Sheridan of ESPN. Maclin also said the trust he has in the Eagles organization was a big reason why he took the one-year deal, per Sheridan:

"

I think everybody likes each other. That's what does it. You feel comfortable. It's a home environment. It's all about believing in them and having trust in them. They stuck to everything they said. That's the type of place I want to be.

I think I made the best decision for my situation, I really do.

"

Well, a multiyear extension has yet to materialize, but Maclin has certainly held up his end of the deal.

One year after a torn ACL wiped out his entire 2013 campaign, Maclin has bounced back in a huge way. His 1,318 receiving yards rank in the top 10 in the NFL and is the first time he's eclipsed 1,000 yards in a season. His 85 catches are a career high. So are his 10 scoring grabs.

Now, with the Eagles set to miss the playoffs after a late-season slide, Maclin may have played his last game with the Eagles. However, the sixth-year veteran made it clear to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he has no intentions of going anywhere in 2015:

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Why wouldn’t I want to be here? This is the place that drafted me and I want to end my career here. If we can get something worked out when the team is right, that’s what will happen.

"

Maclin's future may contain more than a little uncertainty, but there's none where his recent past is concerned.

2014 was pretty darned good.

Preseason Winner: Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots (five votes)

Midseason Winner: Rolando McClain, LB, Dallas Cowboys (nine votes)

Others receiving votes: Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots (six votes), Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos (two votes)

Fantasy Football Player of the Year

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

Winner: Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts (nine votes)

It's been a wild season across the National Football League, and that craziness seeped into fantasy football as well. While many stars lived up to their draft position, just as many did not.

Some players, however, exceeded our wildest expectations. Such was the case with New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who got even more awards love from AFC South Lead Writer Rivers McCown:

"

I have a feeling Odell Beckham isn't going to win this, but consider this: If you picked up Beckham off the waiver wire before he started playing, you essentially picked up the best receiver in the NFL over the last 8-10 weeks of the season.

The best fantasy owners can separate the DeMarco Murrays from the Doug Martins before the start of the season, and that's nice to reward, but I'd wager picking up Beckham swung more leagues than any other player.

"

McCown's points are valid, but unfortunately, so was his assertion that Beckham wouldn't win the award.

That honor went to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, the only player at his position to top 400 fantasy points in NFL.com default fantasy scoring over the first 16 weeks of the 2014 season.

Add in that he was the fourth quarterback selected in fantasy football drafts at My Fantasy League in 2014, and you have the sort of solid value that fantasy championships are made of.

Preseason Winner: LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (eight votes)

Midseason Winner: DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys (12 votes)

Others receiving votes: Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (two votes), DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys (two votes), Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants (two votes)

Breakout Player of the Year

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Winner: Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (14 votes)

There were more than a few players across the NFL who had better seasons than most expected. In fact, I don't think anyone expected Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett to rack up 1,529 total yards in 2014.

However, there wasn't a player in the league who made a bigger jump in 2014 than running back Le'Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Yes, Bell was OK as a rookie last year. But he wasn't much more than that, averaging less than four yards a carry.

This year, the Bell who showed up looked like an entirely different player, with a new gear and elusiveness in the open field that just wasn't on display in 2013. Bell's yards-per-carry average skyrocketed nearly a full yard, his 1,361 yards on the ground led the AFC and Bell tallied an eye-popping 2,215 total yards for a Steelers team that made the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Bell's franchise record-setting season may have surprised many, but head coach Mike Tomlin told Christina Rivers of CBS Pittsburgh that the coaching staff saw it coming all along:

"

We felt from Day 1 that (Bell) was that type of back. You kinda had a pretty good vision of what he was capable of doing. It’s a long season, and we did things the way we did them for a reason. We’re coming down the stretch now. We need our best players playing their best. I think it’s a great opportunity for him and for us.

"

Of course, all the raving and back-patting came to an abrupt halt Sunday night when Bell took a shot to the knee in the third quarter of Pittsburgh's AFC North-clinching win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bell would not return to the game, and while a Monday MRI revealed no ligament damage, his status for the playoffs is unclear.

Preseason Winner: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Minnesota Vikings (five votes—oops)

Midseason Winner: Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (10 votes)

Others receiving votes: Desmond Trufant, CB, Atlanta Falcons (one vote)

Most Improved Player of the Year

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Winner: Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos (five votes)

No category in this year's awards vote garnered more nominees than Most Improved Player. Eight players received at least one vote, including one vote that went to an entire group of players.

However, only one player got more than two votes, and it's not hard to argue that his production was vastly improved in 2014.

When Eric Decker left the Denver Broncos in free agency, there were more than a few questions raised about how his production would be replaced.

Emmanuel Sanders answered those questions in short order.

In fact, not only were Sanders' 101 receptions and 1,404 receiving yards in 2014 both easily career highs, but they also bested Decker's numbers from a year ago in Denver.

Any more questions?

Preseason Winner: Geno (giggle) Smith, QB, New York Jets (way too many votes)

Midseason Winner: Rolando McClain, LB, Dallas Cowboys (seven votes)

Others receiving votes: DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys (two votes), Dont'a Hightower, LB, New England Patriots (two votes), Glover Quin, FS, Detroit Lions (two votes), Justin Houston, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs (one vote), Everson Griffen, DE, Minnesota Vikings (one vote), Kelvin Beachum, OT, Pittsburgh Steelers (one vote), Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line (one vote)

Most Valuable Player

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans (six votes)

We saved the biggest award of 2014 for last, and while it's unlikely that the NFL Honors will follow suit, justice was done in this MVP vote.

Granted, that isn't the opinion of AFC East Lead Writer Erik Frenz, who cast his vote for New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski:

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As I'm writing this, Rob Gronkowski has scored a touchdown in 10 of the 15 games played this season so far. He has battled back from countless surgeries, and an ugly blown ACL he suffered just 12 months ago, to put up some of the best numbers for any pass-catcher period, and by far the best numbers for any tight end.

Last year, the Patriots converted 58.1 percent of their red-zone possessions into touchdowns. This year, that number is up to 61.9, nearly four percentage points higher. Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman are great players, but Gronkowski is the one who really makes the Patriots offense go.

"

It's also not the opinion of NFC East Lead Writer Brad Gagnon, who went with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo:

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Without poor performances against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 and the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving, he'd be having a near-perfect season. But both of those bad games took place on national television. Overexposure has killed Romo more than anything he's done. And for whatever reason, a lot of us have a tendency to cling to the bad and forget about the good when we're assessing him. 

"

The thing is there are several players such as Romo, Rodgers and Gronkowski, stars without whom their respective teams would be sunk.

However, none of those players had a season as dominant as Watt's

Seventy-eight tackles. 20.5 sacks (the first player in NFL history with multiple 20-sack seasons). Four forced fumbles, an interception and a staggering five touchdowns, including three on receptions.

No, the Texans didn't make the playoffs, but they did go 9-7 the season after a 2-14 debacle in 2013, and the team was in playoff contention entering Week 17.

On the shoulders of a defensive end—and the Bleacher Report 2014 NFL MVP.

Preseason Winner: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (five votes—um, yeah.)

Midseason Winner: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos (seven votes)

Others receiving votes: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers (five votes), Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys (two votes), Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots (one vote), Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks (one vote)