How Bill O’Brien Responded To Cowboys’ Will Grier Patriots Prep

Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said he’s sure the Patriots have “interrogated” third-string quarterback Will Grier ahead of this Sunday’s matchup at AT&T Stadium.

Why? Because Grier spent the last two seasons and this preseason with Dallas, giving him a deep knowledge of the Cowboys’ offense that he can share with the Patriots’ defense. Schottenheimer told reporters he’s switching up his calls and hand signals this week to combat that.

Shottenheimer’s New England counterpart, Bill O’Brien, got a kick out of that comment.

“Interrogating!” O’Brien said Tuesday in a video conference. “Schotty is a good guy. I’ve known Schotty for a long time. I think that’s the way it is every week in this league, every year in this league. …

“I don’t think we’re trying to pull a light over anybody and say, ‘Tell me what you did on July 20 of 2023.’ We’re not doing that. We’re not interrogating anybody. We’re just trying to put together the best game plan we possibly can.”

Teams do mine players for intel, though, and Grier, who signed with the Patriots late last week, surely has plenty to provide as New England prepares to face his former team. Dallas cut the 28-year-old just last month after swinging a trade for Trey Lance.

The Patriots also have a more notable ex-Cowboy on their roster in running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott played seven seasons in Dallas but, unlike Grier, was not with the team this spring and summer.

“There’s going to be guys that come into your organization off of teams that you’re about to play, and it goes both ways,” O’Brien said. “You know, it’s always going to happen. So at the end of the day, you’ve got to study film.

“Everybody’s going to be on the same page with what we’re doing. I’ve never thought in my years in the league that any of that was a real overriding factor in a win or a loss. It comes down to the players on the field and the coaches putting the players in the right positions to make plays, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Patriots, who gutted out a 15-10 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, sit at 1-2 entering the Week 4 matchup. Dallas is 2-1 and coming off a stunning loss to the Arizona Cardinals.