EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle Revis started against his former team Sunday, playing for the first time since injuring his knee while with the New York Jets nearly a year ago.
Revis, who played six seasons with the Jets, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at Miami last September in Week 3. He hadn't played since. Revis was traded in April to the Buccaneers, who signed him to a six-year, $96 million contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
During pregame warmups, Revis ran and made cuts on the MetLife Stadium field without wearing a brace on his knee.
Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes also started after seriously injuring his left foot a week after Revis' injury. Holmes didn't play in the preseason, but the Jets' top receiver will be active in at least a limited role Sunday.
Holmes suffered a Lisfranc injury, which usually involves separation of ligaments and joints in the middle of the foot, against San Francisco in Week 4. He needed surgery to repair the injury, and then had another procedure in February to remove the screws.
Mark Sanchez, the Jets' starting quarterback since 2009, is inactive and had been ruled out earlier in the week with a shoulder injury. Rookie Geno Smith, the team's second-round draft pick, was making his first NFL start.
Also inactive for the Jets are: linebackers Quinton Coples, Danny Lansanah and Scott Solomon, offensive tackles Ben Ijalana and Oday Aboushi, and guard Will Campbell.
Tampa Bay starting left guard Carl Nicks is inactive, replaced by Gabe Carimi in the starting lineup. Nicks was trying to come back from surgery on his left big toe when he was recently diagnosed as having a MRSA infection in a blister on his left foot.
Also inactive for the Buccaneers are tight end Tom Crabtree, defensive linemen William Gholston and Chris Jones, cornerback Rashaan Melvin, fullback Erik Lorig and quarterback Dan Orlovsky.
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org
