Patriots Ezekiel Elliott, Will Grier 'Know Where Cowboys Bones Are Buried!'

FRISCO - The New England Patriots under legendary coach Bill Belichick have a reputation for looking under every rock for even the tiniest game-day advantage.

And the Dallas Cowboys, prepping for a Week 4 visit from the Pats, are admitting to an awareness that two such "tiny advantages'' - in the form of Cowboys-turned-Patriots Ezekiel Elliott and Will Grier - may exist.

“We know Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried,” Dallas offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said in previewing this week’s matchup on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. “We know Zeke does as well.” Can adjust accordingly. “I’m sure (Grier) is definitely being interrogated.”

On the field, the Patriots are just starting to "Feed Zeke'' just a bit a the Pats got their first win Sunday … and they also got a glimpse at a celebratory move very familiar to the Dallas Cowboys fans who are about to re-engage with Elliott.

“It’s going to be fun," said Elliott, scheduled to return to Dallas in Week 4 to play his old pals. "I’m excited to go back to Dallas, a place where I have so much history ... my home in the offseason. It will be cool to get back in AT&T Stadium.”

It was also "cool'' to see Zeke contribute to a New England win. Part of conservative game plan that both avoided turnovers and controlled the ball, Elliott had his best game as a Patriot in the 15-10 win at soggy MetLife Stadium. He rushed 16 times for 80 yards. In New England's first two games he had only a combined 42 yards.

Meanwhile, Grier was a "hero for a moment'' with the Cowboys in a preseason closing game at AT&T Stadium. ... and in Week 4, he makes his to return to Arlington, now as a newly-minted member of a New England team that is playing "Musical Chairs'' at the quarterback position.

In the past four weeks, Belichick has made a dozen roster transactions with quarterbacks to work behind Mac Jones, who has been improved as the starter - if on a pop-gun offense.

But the quarterback carousel behind him has been dizzying, with Grier now as the No. 2 guy.

Grier spent a short time with the Cowboys, while Zeke was here starting in 2016 before being a spring-time cap casualty.

Do they truly have secret insight into the Cowboys? Dallas will surely alter some hand-signal motions and some line-of-scrimmage verbiage. But otherwise?

We’ve always thought that “inside info” thing to be an overhyped aspect of the NFL … but we also know Belichick is a master of leveraging advantages … which do figure to be needed against a 2-1 Dallas team reeling from a shocking loss at Arizona but still a heavy favorite here.