There are 5 players I’m watching in week 2 of the NFL season. Chicago Bears DE Julius Peppers. New England Patriots WR Wes Welker. Houston Texan RB Arian Foster. Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre and San Francisco 49er’s RB Frank Gore. Each one of these players could make a significant contribution to their teams success on the field this Sunday.

Chicago Bears DE Julius Peppers- Peppers joined the Chicago Bears this offseason as a free agent from the Carolina Panthers where he recorded 81 career sacks in 8 seasons. Peppers has long been known as a streaky player with a tendency to take plays off. While Peppers did only have one sack last week against the Detroit Lions, it was a devastating one. His blindside sack on Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford caused a shoulder separation. Peppers has to be salivating over the turmoil occurring in the Dallas Cowboys offensive line right now and I look for a big day for the 6’7″ defensive end.

Wes Welker WR New England Patriots- Wes Welker is Superman in a football jersey, his cape is tucked in so that the NFL league office won’t fine him for a uniform violation. After offseason knee surgery, Welker was expected by many to start the season on the patriots Physically Unable to Perform list. Not only did he perform in week one, he score two touchdowns, justifying those who took him early in fantasy drafts and rewarding those who were brave enough to start him last week. I expect lots of action this week for Wes Welker as he squares off against the other side of Revis Island of the New York Jets. Welker and Brady were watching last Monday night when Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens took Antonio Cromartie and rookie CB Kyle Wilson to school. I expect Welker to have a big day.

Arian Foster RB Houston Texans- Foster gutted the Indianapolis Colts defense last week for over 200 yards and three scores. He is 102 yards away from setting a record for the most rushing yards in a running backs first three games since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The problem is that the Houston Texans offense was designed by Kyle Shanahan, who is now reunited with his father in Washington with the Redskins organization. The Houston Texans head coach, Gary Kubiak was a career back-up quarterback in Denver while Mike Shanahan was the coach for the Broncos. I don’t know if the Washington Redskins have the offensive  talent to beat the Houston Texans in a track meet, but this certainly has all the makings of a possible upset for the Houston Texans who are riding high after only their second victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Brett Favre QB Minnesota Vikings- It seems like weeks ago that the NFL season kicked off with the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings squaring off. The Vikings offense and Brett Favre struggled. Favre only completed 4 passes to his wide receivers for the entire game and what will we see this week? There are strong rumors swirling around Minnesota that the Vikings are going to bring in Vincent Jackson, which I think they should to have a shot this season, but do the Vikings finally get their offense on track this week?

Frank Gore RB San Francisco 49er’s- Wow, what a week it’s been for the 49er’s. If they lose this week, which I think they will, Mike Singletary will explode like a small tactical nuclear device. Yes, they got blasted by the Seattle Seahawks in one of the more shocking upsets of last weekend, but it’s plain what the problem is. Alex Smith is not a quarterback designed to throw the ball 45 times. Frank Gore ran the ball 17 times for 38 yards. Gore saw virtually no action in the preseason as the Niners coaching staff decided to rest their race horse. The 49er’s added two new rookies to their offensive line this season, Anthony Davis at right tackle and Mike Iupati at left guard. Gore does not have enough time running behind these rookies to know their tendencies and the Niners offense is predicated on running the ball.