Cowboys Concerned About Patriots Stealing Signs?

The Dallas Cowboys have expressed concerns about the New England Patriots learning their hand signals from Will Grier and Ezekiel Elliott.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has made a name for himself due to his ability to take advantage of an opponent's weakness. It is often said that Belichick's game plan is to make his opponent "play left-handed," which, in essence, means he takes away a team's strength. 

He is also known for his attention to detail, even if it is as tiny as an opposing team's hand signals, which is a concern that the Dallas Cowboys are dealing with in preparation for Sunday's game versus the Patriots. 

"We know Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried," Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said on Monday about the Patriots being able to decipher hand signals through former players. "We know Zeke does as well. ... Everybody does it. 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."

While some Cowboys fans will be quick to call Belichick and the Patriots cheaters for trying to learn the ins and outs of the Dallas offense, it is nothing new in today's NFL. In fact, even the Cowboys have some former Patriots on the roster who could potentially help them in their game-planning process. 

Both receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore played in New England before joining the Cowboys this offseason. While the latter didn't play under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, the former knows the Patriots' defense well, even if it has evolved in some shape or form from the last time he played in Foxboro. 

However, when O'Brien was asked about it on Tuesday, he said that they don't put much stock into the hand signals, as it isn't a shortcut in the game planning process. 

"We're not interrogating anybody. We're just trying to try to put together the best game plan we possibly can," O'Brien said.

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