Happy 2014, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful beginning to the new year and kept yourself busy while anxiously awaiting my first column since our hiatus! While we're only a little more than a month past making our annual life-changing resolutions, we have had plenty of awesome events in the entertainment industry to talk about. Sure, we could spend hours discussing why Gravity should have beat 12 Years a Slave at the Golden Globe Awards, but I can't stop thinking about the beatdown the #1 NFL defense Seattle Seahawks gave the #1 NFL offense Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. While many have complained about the anti-competitiveness of the game, I was awed by the defensive dominance of the Seahawks the entire game.
    Although only two teams got to play on that Sunday, players from several other teams were invited to a ceremony the night before honoring the best players of the year. I'd like to share with you my thoughts on the winners of the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player, while also letting you know about other players who deserved to be in contention for the award. So here we go, let's get this year going!

Offensive Rookie of the Year
Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers
Season stats: 1,178 yards, 11 touchdowns, 1 fumble
    Quite simply, this guy is the best running back Green Bay has had since Ahman Green, and he even fumbles less than him too! Coming from BCS National Champion University of Alabama, 23-year-old Lacy was pretty much immediately inserted as the Packers' starting running back and finally showed what he was capable of in Week 3 when he produced 99 yards against the Detroit Lions. He averaged only a little less than 80 yards per game, but had four huge games of 110, 120, 141 and 150 yards, with three touchdowns in those meetings. So it's easy to say there's a lot to look forward to in seeing what this kid can do as he develops each year. Now all they need is an offensive line!
Honorable mentions: Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers (1,056 yards, 8 touchdowns, 71 receptions [In essentially 13 games.]), Zac Stacy, RB, St. Louis Rams (973 yards, 7 touchdowns, 1 fumble [In literally 12 games.])
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Sheldon Richardson, DE, New York Jets
Season stats: 77 tackles, 0 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 3.5 sacks
    While all eyes were on the Jets' first pick of the first round of the draft, CB Dee Milliner, it was the second player they took in the opening round, Richardson, who had a better year. Moving from the defensive tackle position he played at the University of Missouri to the more athletically-demanding position of defensive end, 23-year-old Richardson had a big impact on the team almost every game. He recorded about five tackles per game, which for a rookie that had to change positions, is pretty damn good. What's even better is that he can run the ball too! The team used him as a fullback a handful of times during the season, and he scored two short-yardage touchdowns this year. The Jets' defense has been great since Rex Ryan came in, and with a developing Richardson, they look even scarier next year.
Honorable mention: Kiko Alonso, LB, Buffalo Bills (159 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 2.0 sacks [I don't know why he didn't win, either.])

Offensive Player of the Year
Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
Season stats: 5,477 yards, 55 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
    What can I say about this guy you don't already know? He's Peyton Freaking Manning. Even his terribly thrown balls are caught for touchdowns. Independently, 37-year-old Peyton Manning broke several NFL statistical records in a single season, including passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (550). He also became the seventh quarterback in NFL history to throw seven touchdown passes in one game and the third quarterback in history to start in the Super Bowl with two different teams. As a team, Manning led the 2013 Denver Broncos to set several NFL records, such as points scored in a single season (606), touchdowns scored in a season (76), first downs in a season (435) and yards from scrimmage in a season (7,317). He will be every bit as good next year as he was this year, but I’m sure he hopes not to run into the Seahawks again.
Honorable mentions: LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (1,607 yards, 9 touchdowns, 1 fumble), Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns (1,646 yards, 9 touchdowns, 87 receptions)

Defensive Player of the Year
Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
Season stats: 156 tackles, 4 interceptions, 0 forced fumbles, 2.0 sacks
    Twenty-two-year-old Luke Kuechly took a huge leap forward this year after being selected in the first round of the previous season’s draft. This season, he stepped into the role of the leader of the defense, which was #2 behind the league’s best Seattle Seahawks in both yards and points allowed per game. In Week 16, he recorded an NFL single game record 26 tackles against the New Orleans Saints that were critical in giving the team a win and clinching a spot in the playoffs. He’s going to end up as one of the NFL’s premier defensive players, if this year didn’t prove he is one already.
Honorable mention: Richard Sherman, CB, Seattle Seahawks (49 tackles, 8 interceptions, 0 forced fumbles, 0.0 sacks [Don’t let the stats fool you. He is by far the best defensive back in the NFL and I’m truly surprised Kuechly won DPOTY over him.])

Most Valuable Player
Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
Season stats: You know
    Alright… what else can I say about this guy? He’s in the discussion of one of the top four quarterbacks of all time and even beat a risky neck surgery procedure before going to the Broncos that could have been career ending. He can’t lose anything… except the Super Bowl.
Honorable mention: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots (4,343 yards, 25 touchdowns, 11 interceptions [After losing several key players to injury and one to an extremely stupid post-clubbing incident, it’s absolutely amazing what the Patriots pulled off this year.])