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When every team had reached the halfway mark of its 2014 season, one name stood out in the race for The Associated Press NFL awards: Arizona coach Bruce Arians.The other seven honours, including the new assistant coach award, should provide a mad scramble heading toward January.Measuring performance through the first eight games can be a valuable tool in predicting which teams and individuals will be busy in January.Still, things often change as the weather gets colder, the schedule gets shorter and the pressure ramps up.Some would argue, though, that Arians deserves top coaching honours regardless of how his Cardinals fare the rest of the way. They have the NFLs best mark through eight games despite a bunch of injuries and living in the rugged NFC West.How are the Cardinals 7-1 after missing their starting QB for three games and, at one point in the season, being down six of last years starters in the front seven? asks Jenny Vrentas of The Monday Morning Quarterback and one of 50 panel members who vote for the awards in January. The first reason is good coaching. Arians hasnt let his team make any excuses and has taken control of the formidable NFC West at midseason.Of the half-dozen AP voters asked in an informal survey, all six selected Arians as Coach of the Year so far.As for the APs newest award, for assistant coaches, Arians defensive co-ordinator, Todd Bowles, received lots of support.Bowles is winning, somehow, without Daryl Washington, Karlos Dansby, John Abraham and Darnell Dockett, not to mention lesser injuries this season for Calais Campbell and others, says Don Banks of SI.com.USA Todays Jim Corbett favoured Dallas defensive co-ordinator Rod Marinelli, whose unit has played far better than many thought it was capable of doing.Another intriguing race is shaping for Comeback Player of the Year. Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin, Cowboys linebacker Roland McClain, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston, Texans running back Arian Foster and Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer got mentions.Most of them are coming off injury-shortened seasons, while McClain flopped in Oakland and walked away from the game twice in Baltimore.His plan to take a one-year deal with the Eagles instead of trying to hit it big on the market will pay off this coming off-season, Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports says of Maclin.Just as with Coach of the Year consideration, the top defensive player award appears to have been a runaway through the halfway point of the schedule. While Houston and Denver LB Von Miller have stood out, too, Texans DE J.J. Watt has soared highest.Its incredible to think a player as consistently dominant as him can be a part of a team thats lost 17 of its last 23 games, Garafolo notes.The NFLs most disruptive defender does it all, adds Banks. He has the sacks, the touchdowns (three, one each via interception, fumble return and reception), the fumble recoveries, the passes defenced and the tackles for loss to make this race no contest in 2014.There figures to be a 16-game contest for Offensive Player of the Year, which quite often is earned because of statistical performance. That could give Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray the nod over the likes of quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Tom Brady, and receivers Antonio Brown and Bears RB Matt Forte.The Cowboys running backs streak of eight consecutive 100-yard games ended on Sunday, Vrentas says, but with 1,133 rushing yards so far this season, Murray alone has amassed more yards on the ground than 28 NFL teams.More than 28 teams — try 32 — have had rookies making an impact already. Thats the pattern of the NFL nowadays thanks to the salary cap and the way the passing game has become dominant.So the top two rookie awards are, well, very much up in the air.Not surprisingly, Bob Glauber of Newsday favours a receiver and a cornerback. Glauber pinpoints for Offensive Rookie of the Year Panthers wideout Kelvin Benjamin, who already has 40 catches for 589 yards and five TDs. His choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year is Chicago CB Kyle Fuller, already a starter with three interceptions.Others to consider halfway through the schedule on offence include Bills WR Sammy Watkins, Saints WR Brandin Cooks, Eagles WR Jordan Matthews, Cowboys guard Zach Martin, Packers centre Corey Linsley and Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon.Other defensive contenders range from Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley to Rams DT Aaron Donald to Browns CB Justin Gilbert to safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix of Green Bay, Deone Bucannon of Arizona and Jimmie Ward of San Francisco.Maybe even one of the outstanding rookie kickers — Arizonas Chandler Catanzaro and Philadelphias Cody Parkey — or punter Tress Way or Washington will get recognized.As for the most recognizable award, MVP, quarterbacks usually dominate the conversation. But Murray and Watt certainly have become major parts of the discussion.Corbett, Vrentas and Banks favour Brady.Brady has stats that are comparable to Peyton Manning, and just convincingly outplayed him head to head in Foxboro, Banks says.Glauber likes the five-time MVP Manning, as does Garafolo.I almost went Andrew Luck here, but thats probably a reaction to the down game Manning had in New England followed by Luck and the Colts thrashing the Giants the next day, Garafalo says. Manning has been outstanding once again and his arm strength seems to have gotten even better. Lucks numbers are gaudy and hes been very good, but hes not wrong when he points out there are areas he can clean up.Most intriguing would be if Watt gets strong support for MVP, an award that has gone to just two defensive players: Alan Page (1971) and Lawrence Taylor (1986).Eight-year, $108 million contract extension hasnt led to any complacency, Glauber says of Watt. Just the opposite, the guy goes a million miles an hour on every play.___Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Rick Mahorn Pistons Jersey . 42 sitting next to the bench. The 57-year-old with greying hair couldnt box out or grab a rebound, but owner Ted Leonsis waved his red towel and egged on a cheering crowd that chanted "Free Nene!" The Wizards did just fine without the suspended Brazilian forward. 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McDermott, who finished his career at Creighton as college basketballs fifth-leading scorer, accepted the honour from Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson at AT&T Stadium, site of the Final Four.ATLANTA - Atlanta Hawks guard John Jenkins will miss the remainder of the season following lower back surgery. The Hawks said Mondays surgery in Atlanta was successful but provided no additional dettails.dddddddddddd Jenkins, a second-year player from Vanderbilt, averaged 3.1 points in only 13 games this season. He averaged 6.1 points in 61 games, including two starts, as a rookie. ' ' '