You won’t hear it from any Dallas Cowboys fan, but quarterback Dak Prescott believes head coach Mike McCarthy deserves another chance.

Team owner Jerry Jones ignited controversy across Cowboys nation last month when he left the door open to bringing McCarthy back on a new contract despite the 5-7 team’s struggles.

Prescott was asked about the comment Tuesday, and the injured quarterback seems open to the idea.

‘I believe in him wholeheartedly,’ Prescott told Yahoo! Sports’ Jori Epstein of McCarthy. ‘I don’t want to necessarily get into the nuts and the screws of it all obviously, but I think he definitely deserves a chance — another contract and a chance to coach this team amongst more influence. ”On his terms” may be a good way to say it.

‘But I wholeheartedly believe in him.’

Last week’s win gives McCarthy 172 victories in the regular season, tying him with Pro Football Hall of Famer – and one-time Dallas head coach – Bill Parcells for 14th on the NFL’s career list.

Despite this, McCarthy remains largely unpopular with fans after failing to advance beyond the divisional round of the playoffs since arriving in Dallas five years ago.

Even team legend Michel Irvin has called for Colorado head coach and ex-Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders to take over next season.

‘No place needs people to encourage people to be better than they are besides Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys,’ Sanders’ former rival and teammate told the Buffaloes’ coach on FS1’s ‘Speak’ last month.

‘I know you’re focused day to day, you’re a day-to-day man, but can you…’

‘Don’t start that,’ Sanders interrupted, shooting down the idea. ‘I love it where I am.’

The Cowboys beat the New York Giants 27-20 on Thanksgiving to give them consecutive victories coming off a five-game losing streak.

Three more games against teams currently with losing records await, starting with a Monday night visit by Cincinnati on December 9. The defending NFC East champions suddenly have hope that they can extend a three-year playoff run.

‘The rest might be the most important part of the schedule,’ McCarthy said last week. ‘If you just look at what we’ve been dealing with, rest and recovery will really help us. The schedule is set up for our players to be on a bye week. I do want them to get away, get their batteries charged, and be ready to go.’

For now, the Dallas offense belongs to Cooper Rush after Prescott’s season-ending surgery for a torn hamstring. Rush has won the past two games without perennial All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, who should have a chance to return from shoulder and ankle injuries.

The biggest question, and concern, for the Cowboys is 2023 All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb’s bad shoulder, which sidelined him in the second half against the Giants.

Jones said on his radio show Friday the extra time off should give Lamb a chance to play.

A defense that has looked much more dynamic since star pass rusher Micah Parsons’ return from an ankle injury might get defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence back against the Bengals. Lawrence hasn’t played since Week 4.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs, a 2021 All-Pro, has missed two games with groin and knee issues.

He and fellow starter DaRon Bland, a 2023 All-Pro after setting an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns, haven’t played together this season.

Bland missed the first 10 games with a foot injury.

If the Dallas defense has close to its cleanest bill of health this season, it would be just in time to face Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, who entered this week leading the NFL’s No. 1 passing offense.

‘Hopefully we’re fully loaded, and I know they’re going to be fully loaded,’ Parsons said. ‘I’m looking forward to that.’

DeMarvion Overshown’s dynamic 23-yard interception return for a touchdown helped the Cowboys finish plus-2 in turnover margin for the second consecutive game. Before that, Dallas was minus-11. In three consecutive 12-5 seasons coming into this year, the Cowboys were at least plus-10 each time.

In four games since Parsons returned, the Cowboys are averaging almost eight QB hits per game. That number was slightly above five in the four games he missed.

The six sacks of New York’s Drew Lock matched the season high for Dallas from the opener against Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson. Parsons has 5 1/2 sacks since his return.

‘We’re a better football team, a better defense, when Micah is on the field,’ McCarthy said. ‘That is without question. I think he came back, we had him a little bit on a pitch count, and now he is at full speed.’

The Cowboys have the second-worst touchdown percentage on trips inside the 20-yard line and had to settle for field goals on their first two drives against the Giants, which led to a 7-6 deficit.

They would have been 0 for 3 early in the second half if a fumble by Rush hadn’t been overturned after a replay review.