10/26 — Because Brian Schottenheimer hadn't spoken with reporters for two weeks, one thing that came up at the informal media gathering with the Jets' OC this afternoon was a two-week-old topic: the third- and fourth-and-1 calls that were both stopped by the Eagles at the end of the Jets' 16-9 loss.

Schottenheimer defended the calls — "We liked the sneak and we liked the play on fourth down. Unfortunately, we didn't get it done" — but also did some soul-searching on them — "I've probably scrutinized those calls as much as anybody."

But the interesting part for me was the process that Schottenheimer uses in deciding on, say, the Pennington QB sneak and the back-shoulder throw to Laveranues Coles in the end zone.

"Each week we have a list of plays we call gotta-have-its," Schottenheimer explained. "When you get in situations like that, for any playcaller, it's an emotional time of the game. What we try to do is have on our call sheet, which is different each week, a list of plays. When we get into those critical situations, it's right there on the call sheet."

And where do those calls come from? From working on them at practice and mulling them over before and after the workouts.

"You have to take the emotional side out of it and make those decisions during the week, when you're in your office, late at night or early in the morning, when you have some peace and quiet and they're not reactions to situations in the game."

Schottenheimer grew up in a coaching family, of course, so he's not naive. He knows the calls weren't popular, either for specific reasons or because of the "psychology of results" exhibited by the fans who believe that a play that doesn't work equals a bad call.

But that hasn't stopped him from devising new gotta-have-its that he is equally confident in calling to tie or win a game, perhaps as soon as Sunday in the Meadowlands against the Buffalo Bills.

Vilma Streaks Will End

Head coach Eric Mangini didn't elaborate on LB Jonathan Vilma's knee, but the Jets' injury report, issued shortly after 4 p.m., said a lot: Vilma did not practice again today for the third straight day and has been listed as out for Buffalo.

Thus, Vilma's impressive playing streaks will come to an end. Including three postseason games, he's played in all 58 Jets game since he was drafted in 2004 and has started in the last 56.

The Bills listed three players as out: Ashton Youboty, who started at LCB vs. the Jets in Week 4; DE Ryan Denney and LB Leon Joe.

Other starters from the first game now on the Bills' report are S Jim Leonhard (doubtful) and LDE Chris Kelsay (upgraded from not participating to limited practice and listed as questionable, ankle).

He's the Man for Sunday's Anthem

For Anthem or Matt White aficionados, you may be interested to know that White will sing the Star-Spangled Banner at Sunday's game. White's debut album, "Best Days," entered Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart at No. 34, and he's placed songs on the soundtracks of the movies "Shrek 3" and "She's the Man" and on TV shows such as "Laguna Beach," "One Tree Hill" and "What About Brian."