As offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and the New England Patriots prepare their game plan for a Week 4 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys, they will turn to two familiar faces from the Cowboys to help them. The Patriots signed ex-Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot this offseason and also recently signed former Cowboys backup quarterback Will Grier to the 53-man roster.
Elliot and Grier’s familiarity with the Cowboys’ offensive and defensive schemes should provide the Patriots coaching staff with some important intel. It’s common practice in the NFL to obtain any information you can from players who have spent time with other franchises, but Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer doesn’t seem to be thrilled about it.
"Those are things we monitor every week. But we know Will [Grier] knows where a lot of the bones are buried. Zeke [Elliot] does, as well. So those are things you talk about and you think, ‘Ok, let’s adjust this,’ said Schottenheimer.
Schottenheimer is referencing the hand signals the Cowboys use and how they will need to change them in preparation for their Week 4 clash against former teammates. Elliot spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Cowboys and was a focal point of their offense ever since his arrival, meaning he should be well-versed in the Cowboys scheme.
O’Brien devalued Elliot and Grier’s contribution to the game plan this week when asked to speak on the matter: "We’re not interrogating anybody. We’re just trying to put together the best game plan we possibly can."
It will be interesting to see just how much this storyline comes into play during the game.
