One of the things Michael Vick has been praised for in his six quarters of play so far this year has been his fearlessness. He's not afraid to take a hit, he's diving for the end zone, he's playing without fear.
That's great when you're the backup... but if you're supposed to be the guy for the rest of the year you might want to think twice before taking a big shot that you don't need to to take. Vick said that everyone has been telling him to be a little smarter as far as that goes.
"I'm doing my thing, but it's not just Andy telling me to slide or get out of bounds, it's the entire team. So, I just have to take heed of what they're saying and do it. In the actual game, I kind of get caught up in the moment and sometimes I just go crazy out there, but you've just got to protect yourself at all times. It's a dangerous game, and just be conscious of who's around you and not get hit all the time."
If you've got to take a hit after a throw because your WR needs an extra half step, that's cool. If you've got the end zone in sight and you need to take a hit to get in... you can do that. But I think we all saw that Vick was taking big shots last Sunday that he didn't have to take. To his credit the guy bounced up from every one, but the more of those shots you take the more likely you won't be able to get up from it.
Just ask Kevin Kolb...