2014 Midseason NFL Awards

For a number of reasons, this has been one of the most fascinating NFL seasons I can ever remember. We're now halfway through the NFL season and an incredible 18 teams have a record above .500. 11 of these teams play in the AFC, a conference so dominant that the 4-4 Houston Texans are the 12th of 16 teams in the conference.

In the NFC, seven teams boast a winning record, but none play in the NFC South, which became the first division in league history with a first-place team with a record under .500 midway through the season.

The final half of the season will include some intense races for the postseason, as well as some tough competition for the major awards. Will five-time MVP Peyton Manning be able to hold off Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers for yet another MVP trophy?

Could J.J. Watt become the first defensive player since Lawrence Taylor in 1986 to win the elusive MVP? And with so many teams above .500, which coach will eventually capture the prestigious Coach of the Year trophy? 

Below are my midseason awards, which includes all major awards and a few that don't actually exist (yet). 

Most Valuable Player

Never in the history of the NFL have quarterbacks played so well. With seven quarterbacks posting a triple-digit passer rating and 19 over 90, this truly is a passing league.

For the third straight year, Denver's Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in the game. Manning is on pace for 50 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, and his 119.0 passer rating would be the fourth-highest single-season total in league history. Manning has led the Broncos to a 6-1 record, best in the league, with their only loss coming in overtime against the defending Super Bowl champions. 

Apologies to: Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, J.J. Watt

Offensive Player

He's not the most valuable player in the league, but the player posting the most impressive offensive statistics is easily Dallas running back DeMarco Murray. Murray is in the midst of a historic season. He's on pace for 412 carries, 2,108 yards and 14 touchdowns. If he maintains his current pace, he'll break the single-season record for rushing yards (currently held by Eric Dickerson, who rushed for 2,105 yards in 1984), while finishing four carries shy of tying Larry Johnson's 2006 mark for carries.

Via Pro Football Focus, Murray has also forced 45 missed tackles, easily the best mark in the league. Murray benefits from a top-10 quarterback and a dominant offensive line, but he's still been clearly the most impressive running back this season.

Apologies to: Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers

Defensive Player

J.J. Watt will win this award and he will win it unanimously. He's so good that there almost aren't words to describe how good he is. He's the most dominant, unblockable player the league has seen since Reggie White.

He's the biggest reason why the Texans are 4-4 and in the playoff hunt and he's thrived despite playing almost the whole season without number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. His performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 (nine quarterback hits, six hurries) is probably the single most dominant game by any NFL player this season. 

Apologies to: Von Miller, Gerald McCoy, Justin Houston, Chris Harris

Offensive Rookie

I was highly critical of the Bills' decision to trade up and draft Sammy Watkins because the move means they're unable to draft EJ Manuel's replacement in the first round of the 2015 draft. But at least the move has paid off every way for the Bills, as Watkins has been a top-10 wide receiver this season.

He's on pace for 76 catches, 1,180 yards and 10 touchdowns, numbers that would be astounding for a rookie who has played with two below-average starting quarterbacks. 

Apologies to: Kelvin Benjamin, Joel Bitonio, Zack Martin

Defensive Rookie

A number of rookies on the defensive side of the ball have made a major splash this season, but no player has been more impressive than Oakland's Khalil Mack. Graded as the second-best linebacker in the NFL this season by Pro Football Focus, Mack looks to break a pretty unimpressive stretch of top-10 picks by the Raiders. He's the top-graded player against the run, per PFF, and he's added five quarterback hits and 17 hurries. 

Apologies to: Anthony Barr, C.J. Mosley, Aaron Donald, Jason Verrett

Breakout Offensive Player

Somewhere there's an undrafted quarterback who has completed 65.2 percent of his passes with a two-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 92.3 passer rating, yet he's received almost no national publicity. That would be Austin Davis, the Rams' third-string quarterback who has played well enough to warrant consideration for a starting job on another team next year (assuming the Rams draft his replacement with their likely top-10 pick). 

Apologies to: Brian Hoyer, Mark Ingram, Golden Tate, Denard Robinson

Breakout Defensive Player

The success story of Rolando McClain is truly incredible. A failed top-10 pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2010, McClain retired in May 2013 and spent over a year out of football. But a slew of injuries at middle linebacker led the Cowboys to call McClain this summer, and he's been nothing short of spectacular through the first half of the season. He's collected 44 tackles and two interceptions, including a game-sealing pick to clinch an improbable victory at Seattle. 

Apologies to: Harrison Smith, Malcolm Jenkins, Jelani Jenkins

Comeback Offensive Player

There was reason to doubt whether Arian Foster would ever again be a successful running back in the NFL after an injury-plagued 2013 season that continued to affect him during training camp in 2014. But the 28-year-old has bounced back to elite form, rushing for more than 100 yards in all but one game this season. He's averaging 5.2 yards per carry and he's first in the NFL with seven rushing touchdowns. 

Apologies to: Eli Manning, Jeremy Maclin, Julio Jones, Rob Gronkowski

Comeback Defensive Player

For the second time in three seasons, Von Miller is the second-best defensive player in the NFL, trailing only J.J. Watt. Miller, who was suspended and later tore his ACL late in the 2013 season, has been a force for Denver's defense this year. Miller has collected nine sacks, putting him on pace for 21, and he's just as dominant against the run. 

Apologies to: Brandon Flowers, Antonio Cromartie

Disappointing Offensive Player

Last season, Nick Foles threw 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions, posting the third-highest single-season passer rating in the history of the NFL. Regression was expected for the third-year quarterback in 2014, but nobody expected him to be tops in the NFL in turnovers (12) with the 28th-ranked passer rating. Foles has played well in the clutch, leading the Eagles to three fourth-quarter comebacks, but he's clearly holding back an offense that still ranks fourth in the NFL in scoring. 

Apologies to: LeSean McCoy, Matt Kalil, Josh McCown, Luke Joeckel

Disappointing Defensive Player

Remember the Patrick Peterson vs Richard Sherman debate that ensured this past offseason? Yeah, that was pretty laughable. Sherman hasn't been his usual dominant self but Peterson has been awful. He's allowing a 132.7 passer rating and he's one of just six cornerbacks to allow five touchdown passes, as seen on Pro Football Focus. 

Apologies to: Joe Haden, Kenny Vaccaro, Chris Clemons

Disappointment Offensive Rookie

The most disappointing offensive rookie in the NFL? It's not even close. Jake Matthews has been a complete disaster for the Atlanta Falcons. Moved from right to left tackle when Sam Baker suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason, Matthews grades as the worst player in the NFL this season on Pro Football Focus.

He's surrendered four sacks, three quarterback hits and 19 quarterback hurries, while committing eight penalties. Offensive tackles typically take a couple of years to hit their stride but it's impossible to deny that Matthews' play this season has been a major red flag.

Apologies to: Blake Bortles, Eric Ebron, Carlos Hyde

Disappointing Defensive Rookie

It's a wonder that the Cleveland Browns have a winning record despite virtually no contribution from either of their two first-round picks. It's cornerback Justin Gilbert—who the Browns traded up to the eighth overall pick to select—who has been the most disappointing rookie on the defensive side of the ball. Gilbert was benched for an undrafted rookie and he's surrendering a 104.4 passer rating this year, per Pro Football Focus. 

Apologies to: Marcus Smith, Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford

Coach

No coach in the NFL has done a better job this season (or over the last three seasons) than Bruce Arians. He has the Arizona Cardinals at 6-1, good for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC if the season ended today. He's managed to thrive despite injuries to Carson Palmer, Calais Campbell and Daryl Washington, and he's defeated three playoff teams from last season: Chargers, 49ers and Eagles. 

Apologies to: Jason Garrett, Jim Caldwell, Mike Pettine, Bill O'Brien

Assistant Coach

Raise your hand if you predicted the Detroit Lions to have the best scoring defense in the NFL halfway through the 2014 season. Yeah, neither did I. Credit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, whose unit is on pace to allow just 252 points.

The Lions are first in the NFL in points and yards. You can't run against this team (first in fewest yards per carry) and they're third in fewest yards per pass attempt. They held Aaron Rodgers to just seven points in Week 3 and they collected three interceptions and eight sacks against Teddy Bridgewater in Week 6.  

Apologies to: Todd Bowles, Adam Gase, Dave Fipp

Executive

The Denver Broncos are clearly all-in for the next few years as they look to win a Super Bowl before the end of Peyton Manning's career. This offseason, they were the biggest spenders in the league, bringing in wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, defensive end DeMarcus Ware, cornerback Aqib Talib and safety T.J. Ward.

All but Ward have exceeded expectations this year, and the Broncos have played so well that second-round pick, wide receiver Cody Latimer, still has yet to make his NFL debut. Credit John Elway, who looks to be just as good of an executive as he was a player. 

Apologies to: Jerry Jones, Martin Mayhew, Ozzie Newsome

Team

The Denver Broncos are the best team in the NFL and it's really not even close. They've won six of their seven games against pretty tough competition, defeating five 10-win teams from last season: Colts, Chiefs, Cardinals, 49ers and Chargers.

Their only loss, in overtime to the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, came after Manning marched the Broncos down the field in the final minute to tie the game. First in the league in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense, the Broncos boast the best group of skill-position players in the league to go with a dominant one-two punch at pass-rusher and cornerback. 

Apologies to: New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions