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The interception Michael Vick threw to Troy Polamalu late in the first half of Thursday night's preseason game was the last thing fans of either the Philadelphia Eagles or Pittsburgh Steelers wanted to see. Not because it was one of Vick's three interceptions on the night or because Polamalu could have gotten farther on his return -- who cares about that, it's the preseason. It's because after the pick, Vick made an open-field tackle on the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro with a lowered shoulder, exposing himself to an unnecessary injury. Polamalu was all too happy to engage, lowering his head to plow over Vick. The play looked like it could have come out of Week 13 of the NFL season.
Watching a preseason game is like watching one of those movies with ominous music and people popping out of nowhere. You watch the stars play their three possessions on pins and needles, cringing every time they get into a situation where they might get hurt.
Hits like the one above happen way too often in preseason games. Players temporarily forget that nothing's at stake and go full bore into a play like it's the playoffs. Usually it happens in a situation like the Vick interception, where things go wrong and frustration takes over. In the worst-case scenario, serious injuries can happen. Clinton Portis did it a few years ago on the Redskins after making a shoulder tackle after a Mark Brunell interception.
The starters know the games don't matter. They don't celebrate touchdowns with the same vigor or perform the sack dances with as much gusto. Vick isn't going to be as upset about a three-interception performance in August as one in November.
For brief moments, though, like when Troy Polamalu has an open field in front of him or Mike Vick has made a mistake and wants to take it out on the guy who benefitted from it, the game does matter, even if it doesn't.
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