It should be no surprise now — defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson will start for the Jets against Atlanta in the rain today at MetLife Stadium.
Wilkerson has been listed on the Jets' injury report the last eight weeks with a shoulder injury and for the last three weeks has also had foot and toe ailments that have prevented him from practicing at all. But the prideful defender has started all seven games this season prior to today's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
Wilkerson had one of his most active games this season with his second pro interception, a QB hit and four tackles, one coming well downfield to prevent a third-and-19 conversion by the Dolphins.
Two other starters also did not participate in team drills this week at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center and both were declared out of action vs. the Falcons by head coach Todd Bowles: CB Buster Skrine and T Brandon Shell.
The Jets have announced that CB Darryl Roberts will get his third start this season and his first in the base defense in place of Skrine.
Brent Qvale, one of the Green & White's most versatile players with starts at right tackle, right guard and third tight end since 2015, will get his second start this season at RT for Shell.
The Jets' complete inactive list for today's game:
■ QB Christian Hackenberg
■ WR ArDarius Stewart
■ CB Derrick Jones
■ CB Buster Skrine
■ LB Obum Gwachum
■ T Brandon Shell
■ TE Jordan Leggett
The Falcons' inactives:
■ WR Nick Williams
■ CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson
■ LB Duke Riley
■ LB Jordan Tripp
■ LB Sean Weatherspoon
■ G Sean Harlow
■ T Austin Pasztor
Go All Access During Week 8 of the Regular Season
Bowles' captains for today's game are G Brian Winters, C Wes Johnson, DLs Mike Pennel and Kony Ealy, and LB/ST Julian Stanford.
The Jets are wearing their green jerseys and white pants. The Jets under Bowles are 1-1 at home in green/white this season (win over Miami, loss to New England) and 6-5 at home in green/white since Bowles' tenure began in 2015.
The referee today is Craig Wrolstad. This is Wrolstad's sixth Jets game as referee since 2014. His first game as an NFL referee was the Jets' 2014 preseason opener vs. Indianapolis, and his first regular-season game as a ref was the Jets' 2014 opener vs. Oakland. He also officiated at Miami in '14, vs. the Dolphins in London and at Dallas in '15, and at San Francisco in '16.
