Following the Dallas Cowboys’ 49-7 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, there was no shortage of criticism for the Cowboys head coach. Mike McCarthy. On Monday, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott defended his leader.

“The man he is, the preparation he puts into this, the leader – I will go to war every day for that man, with that man,” Prescott said. The Athleticsby Jon Machota. “I’m not the only one in that locker room. I feel like everyone feels that.

“If you heard what he said after that game (last night), it’s not something I want to tell you straight, but a strong message. Strong message. If I have a loss, to be able to feel that way and show those emotions and respond to them, I will follow him. I will follow him. I know he said it to you, he said it in there, he looks in the mirror, like we all should do. Grateful for him as my coach. Period.”

The Cowboys needed a message of encouragement after their loss on Sunday. The 49-7 shellacking was the organization’s worst home loss since 1988. The Cowboys looked like a different team compared to their previous two wins, including Prescott.

In the loss, Dak Prescott completed just 17 of his 33 passing attempts for 178 yards and threw two interceptions while failing to find a touchdown. For reference, Prescott had racked up 352 passing yards and two touchdowns just a week earlier.

Despite Prescott’s strong defense of McCarthy, not everyone will hold back from calling for the chief position. On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter weighed in on the chances of the Cowboys firing McCarthy before the end of the season.

“First of all, that’s not Cowboys owner Jerry Jones history,” Schefter said. “No. 2, who do you want to appoint from the staff that will be a better coach than Mike McCarthy? Who from that staff will take over? His contract expires after this year, so there is no reason for the best coach to be on their staff to not continue, let the season play out and then make a decision, especially considering Jerry’s history.

“He just didn’t make any coaching moves during the season. He has been as patient, if not more patient, than virtually every owner in the NFL. So that is not his history. There is no better coach on the staff than Mike McCarthy. It’s the quick fix. “Oh, the team stunk at home because they lost 47-9.” While they won in Pittsburgh a week earlier. They won a tough game that no one picked them to win.”