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One way the Cowboys are gearing up for their game against the Patriots is adjusting their offensive play calls, worried that they they’ve most likely been compromised.
Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said he believes Bill Belichick and his defensive coaches will “interrogate” former Dallas quarterback Will Grier and running back Ezekiel Elliott for inside information on the offense.
Grier, who was recently signed by the Patriots off the Bengals practice squad, spent two years as backup quarterback to Dak Prescott.
That time spent in the quarterback room and at practices is something New England likely sees as an advantage.
“We’re always aware of it, those are things we monitor each week, and we know Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried,” Schottenheimer said this week.
The timing of the Grier signing was certainly convenient for the Patriots, though their backup quarterback situation has been unpredictable all offseason.
Grier was released by the Cowboys after the team acquired Trey Lance in a trade with the 49ers this August.
Meanwhile, Elliott played with Prescott for seven years.
“We know Zeke does as well,” said Schottenheimer.
Schottenheimer, who has been an NFL assistant or coordinator since 1997, took it as no surprise Belichick would use his players for an advantage.
“Everybody does it,” Schottenheimer. “You get a player that has been somewhere, and you bring them in to talk to them about certain things. You’re very selective about how much you put into it.”
Schottenheimer’s 22 years of coaching experience gives him a certain understanding about how to make a seemingly bad circumstance work in his team’s favor.
“We certainly have more than one hand signal for all of our core concepts,” Schottenheimer said. “Sometimes, you can use it to your advantage because they think they know what’s coming … and we’re smart enough to adjust those things.”
The Patriots will travel to AT&T Stadium to face the second-place team in the NFC East on Sunday.
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