The Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson came back better than ever, just missing Eric Dickerson's longstanding rushing record and closing out the season with two of the top NFL awards from The Associated Press: Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.
Defensive Player of the Year
Houston Texans end J.J. Watt won The Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, missing a perfect ballot by one vote.
Comeback Player of the Year
Coach of the Year
Bruce Arians has become the first interim coach to win the top NFL award from The Associated Press, taking the honors for his work with the Indianapolis Colts.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins has won The Associated Press 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, beating out two other sensational first-year quarterbacks.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Linebacker Luke Kuechly, Carolina's tackling machine, has won the Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.