10/27 — I knew something was not right with Jonathan Vilma when, during CBS' telecast of Sunday's Jets-Bengals game, fullback Jeremi Johnson went through the hole ahead of Kenny Watson, engaged Jonathan Vilma, and drove him off the screen.

Vilma and the Jets knew something wasn't right as well. And after a week of not participating in practice, today the Jets placed their inside linebacker and team captain on injured reserve, ending his season.

At some point in the first half of the game in Cincinnati, Vilma did something to his knee. Head coach Eric Mangini said on Wednesday, "I think the injury had an impact on his performance."

Mangini and coordinator Bob Sutton took Vilma out of the game but only on base downs. He missed nine snaps in the second half, yet still continued to play on some base downs and on all plays in the nickel.

"Jon is an extremely tough guy," Mangini said during the week.

And GM Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement Saturday, "He is as tough as they come."

Mangini also addressed the issue of whether allowing him to keep playing aggravated the injury.

"There are times in every single game where different guys are injured and you do have a protocol in place for those things," the coach said during the week. "You go through the protocol, you talk to the player. It's a comprehensive process. It's not just, “How you doing?” “Fine,” and you move forward. So you have a process in place.

"It happens on every sideline in every game. You try to make the best decision you can make at that time."

Second-round rookie David Harris, who saw his most action as a pro in the Bengals game, seconded the comments about Vilma during the week.

"Jonathan is a great player," said Harris, seeming calm, confident and unfazed by the prospects ahead. "Anytime you lose a player like that, it is very hard to fill his shoes. He's a great team leader, he's very well respected and he has run the defense for four years now. I will try to be ready when my number is called."

Harris' No. 52 will be called Sunday when he's expected to step into the starting lineup for Vilma against the Buffalo Bills at the Meadowlands.

Vilma's streaks of having played in all 58 games, including three playoff games, and having started in the last 56 games since arriving as the Jets' first-round draft choice in 2004 are obviously over.

But Vilma, in a statement released through the team today, said, "I now look forward to supporting my teammates for the rest of the 2007 season and returning to the field with them in 2008."

And agent Mitch Frankel said the injury is not career-threatening and that Vilma "is looking forward to returning to the field with the Jets in 2008."

I will take the liberty of speaking for Jets fans everywhere in wishing Jonathan a speedy, successful rehab and a return to Pro Bowl form.