Eric Sorenson
Quintin Groves’ NFL career hasn’t exactly followed the perfect script.
Drafted in the second-round (52nd overall) of the 2008 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Groves was traded two years later to the Oakland Raiders for a fifth-round pick.
Now with his third team in just over four full seasons, Groves is attempting to put himself back on the NFL map. If Sunday’s performance against the AFC Champion New England Patriots is any indication, he may be well on his way.
He registered his first sack since his rookie season and sliced through the line to block Zoltan Mesko’s punt setting up a key late touchdown as the Red Birds upset the Pats 20-18 in Foxboro.
“Those things [the blocked punt] just don’t happen on Sunday’s,” Groves told Brad Cesmat Monday on ‘Big Guy on Sports.’ “It goes into the whole week of preparation. Me and [special teams coach Kevin Spencer] sat down to watch film and noticed the wing was kinda small and we knew we could take advantage of that type of protection. He called the right play…and it all fell into line. I knew I could get there. I said the whole week I was going to block one.”
It’s those types of momentum-turning plays which have the Cards undefeated (2-0) and the buzz of the league after entering Sunday’s game a 14-point underdog. With Week 1 starter John Skelton out with an ankle sprain and Kevin Kolb easing his way back into the starting position, players and coaches have preached it’s up to Arizona’s defense and special teams to step up their games.
Ken Whisenhunt is hoping his team’s business-like approach will continue this week when Michael Vick and the Eagles visit the University of Phoenix Stadium this weekend.
Groves believes that won’t be an issue.
“Yesterday was yesterday,” he explained to Cesmat. “We’ve moved on. We’re trying to get ready for an NFC opponent, a division opponent. [Vick] is a dangerous quarterback who has a lot of dangerous weapons around him. We have our work cut out for us. We can’t get complacent.”
