The NFL season just passed the halfway point and the action is heating up. These players are sure to fire up some action on Sunday or cool down the game.

Fired Up

Wide receiver Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers — Driver has struggled over the past couple weeks, but fellow receiver Greg Jennings has stepped up nicely. Driver will be matched up against a poor Minnesota secondary on Sunday and should have a big day. Driver has one of the best quarterbacks in the league getting him the ball in Brett Favre, and he should have an advantage on the field all day on Sunday.

Quarterback Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams — Yes, St. Louis is one of the two winless teams in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do something right. Bulger has looked good since coming back from an injury, and the St. Louis offense always has the potential to have a big game. The fact that they are going against a porous New Orleans secondary only helps their chances on Sunday. It is going to be a shootout, and Bulger could help the Rams get their first victory of the season.

Running back Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills — Lynch has been a solid replacement for Willis McGahee in Buffalo. Other than Adrian Peterson, Lynch may very well be the best rookie running back in the NFL. On Sunday Lynch gets to challenge an awful Miami defense that has not had any success stopping the run game this season. Lynch should have a big day and help keep Miami winless.

Buffalo Defense — Did I mention that Miami is terrible? They lost their quarterback they traded for in the offseason, Trent Green, and their star running back, Ronnie Brown, for the season. Their defense has looked awful, just a year after Jason Taylor was given the Defensive Player of the Year award. Miami can’t do much right, and Buffalo has started to show signs of life on defense. Look for Buffalo to give Miami problems on both sides of the ball on Sunday.

Cooling down

Wide receiver Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns — Cleveland has had great success so far this year, but they will face a stout Pittsburgh defense on Sunday. Edwards has been a key element of the Cleveland passing offense along with tight end Kellen Winslow. But Edwards could struggle on Sunday against the top-rated passing defense in the NFL. The high-powered Cleveland offense, lead by Derek Anderson, could be in for a slow day on Sunday.

Quarterback Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers — Rivers has struggled the past couple weeks. That is not something San Diego fans should take lightly. The Chargers played against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL last weekend and still couldn’t get any yards through the air. Rivers task doesn’t get any easier this week as the Chargers face the Colts, who have the third best passing defense in the NFL. It could be a very long day for Rivers.

Running back Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles — Westbrook has been the one bright spot on a mediocre Eagles team all season. He basically is the offense. On Sunday, though, the Eagles play one of the toughest defenses in the NFC when they face the Redskins. The Redskins have the ninth best rushing defense in the NFL and should limit Westbrook’s production on Sunday.

San Diego Defense — The Chargers have shown vulnerability all season. A lot of people expected them to challenge for the AFC championship this season, especially with arguably the best player in the NFL on their team. However, the team has been inconsistent, especially on defense. The Charger defense gave up an NFL record 296 rushing yards in last weekend’s game against Minnesota. This Sunday it faces a Colts offense that is third in the NFL in total yards. The Chargers could have more troubles ahead on Sunday.

— Edited by Luke Morris