NFL awards go to Murray, Beckham
— -- PHOENIX -- DeMarco Murray has run off with The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player Of The Year award for the 2014 season.
The Dallas Cowboys running back, who led the league in rushing with 1,845 yards -- nearly 500 more than any other player -- also topped the NFL with 2,261 yards from scrimmage. He scored 13 touchdowns in helping Dallas win the NFC East.
Those overwhelming performances earned him 26 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL.
"I want to say thank you to the Jones family for taking a chance on me four years ago out of Oklahoma," Murray said. "It's been a privilege to play there. Hopefully we can continue that."
Murray easily outdistanced Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (15 votes). Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was next with five, followed by teammate RB Le'Veon Bell with two.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Dallas QB Tony Romo got one vote apiece. Murray was presented the award at the "NFL Honors'' show Saturday night.
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. grabbed The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year award for 2014.
Best known for the play of the year, his one-handed snag of a touchdown pass while falling backward against Dallas, the first-round pick (12th overall) out of LSU easily won against a loaded rookie class. Beckham received 42 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.
Cowboys guard Zack Martin, selected to the Pro Bowl, got seven votes, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans earned one.
Beckham hardly was a one-trick pony. He tied Michael Irvin's NFL mark with nine consecutive games of 90 yards receiving and finished with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 TDs.
Cowboys star Dez Bryant saluted Beckham on Twitter after he was honored:
Bruce Arians has won The Associated Press NFL Coach Of The Year award for the second time in three years -- with different teams.
Arians led Arizona to an 11-5 record in 2014 despite a rash of injuries, including to his top two quarterbacks. The Cardinals earned a wild-card berth, losing at Carolina in the playoffs.
In 2012, Arians stepped in for an ill Chuck Pagano and helped the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs, becoming the first interim coach to win the award, which began in 1957.
Arians received 39 1-2 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Houston's Bill O'Brien and Dallas' Jason Garrett each got three votes. Seattle's Pete Carroll drew 2 1-2; Detroit's Jim Caldwell and New England's Bill Belichick got one apiece.
St. Louis Rams tackle Aaron Donald has won The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year award for 2014.
A first-round draft pick (13th overall) out of Pittsburgh, Donald drew 25 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. That was seven more than Baltimore linebacker C.J. Mosley.
Oakland LB Khalil Mack got six votes, and San Francisco LB Chris Borland received one.
A force against the run and the pass, Donald had 37 tackles, nine assists, and led all rookies with nine sacks. He was one of three rookies initially selected for the Pro Bowl; Mosley also made it.
Donald is the second Ram to win the award and the first since linebacker Isiah Robertson in 1971, when the team was in Los Angeles.
Todd Bowles has won the first Associated Press NFL Assistant Coach Of The Year award.
Bowles won it as defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. He since has become the head coach of the New York Jets.
The award, created for the 2014 season, is open to all assistant coaches in the league. And the balloting was vigorous, with 11 coaches earning votes.
Bowles received 22 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Two Dallas coordinators, Rod Marinelli (defense) and Scott Linehan (offense), were next: Marinelli with 12, Linehan with three.
Two others who received votes, Jim Schwartz and Vic Fangio, no longer hold the same jobs. Schwartz was released as defensive coordinator in Buffalo, while Fangio left San Francisco and is now with Chicago as defensive coordinator.
Also during the show, Bears defensive end Jared Allen won the Salute to Service Award. USAA will contribute $25,000 in Allen's honor to the official aid societies representing all five military branches.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
