Prescott completed fewer than half of his pass attempts and could not lead Dallas to any points until the game was well out of reach in an emphatic home defeat against the Broncos that ended their six-game winning streak in the NFL.
Dallas turned the ball over on downs on their first two possessions and four times overall in the game, failing on all four of their fourth-down conversion attempts as they compiled a season-low 290 yards after averaging 454.9 entering the game.
"Frankly we were outcoached, we were outplayed all the way through," Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters. "This is the first time I've felt clearly our energy didn't exceed our opponent. That's disappointing."
The Cowboys had not trailed by double digits all season but found themselves down 30-0 by the time Prescott threw the first of two touchdown passes late in the fourth quarter.
Prescott entered the game leading the NFL with a 73.1 completion percentage but connected on just 19 of 39 attempts (48.7 per cent), matching the second-worst showing of his six-year NFL career.
The Cowboys QB insisted he felt "fine" and there were no residual effects from the leg he injured on the game-winning touchdown pass three weeks earlier against the New England Patriots, but acknowledged he did not perform to his standards.
"I mean obviously I wasn't as clean as I normally am or as I have been. It's tough to say and blame that [injury]," Prescott said. "I'm not going to sit there and blame two weeks [off] when I had a great week of practice under my belt coming into this one.
"I just missed some throws and we weren't our normal selves in the passing game when we needed to be. We didn't execute…
"We got beat. We got thumped in every aspect of the game, especially on offence."
McCarthy could have been forgiven for pulling Prescott with the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, especially coming off an injury, but the quarterback said he never considered remaining on the sidelines no matter the margin.
"There was game left out there to be played," Prescott said. "It never crossed my mind that I was coming out of the game. I think if somebody would have tried to make that decision, I would have told them I wasn't.
"We needed to get something going. We needed to get some energy, some momentum. We needed to show our fight, our resiliency, something that's won us a lot of games. When you're getting beat like that, you've got to show your character.
"I think that's where the path starts with all of us staying in the game and fighting to the end and trying to get some momentum or something going just to take from this game."
The move was reported on Sunday, one week after the Cowboys struggled offensively in a 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in a Divisional round game.
Head coach Mike McCarthy will reportedly take over play-calling duties from Moore, who had one year remaining on his contract and had been the Cowboys' offensive coordinator since 2019.
Under Moore, Dallas led the NFL in total yards in 2019 and 2021 and also had the league's top-ranked scoring offense last season at 31.2 points per game.
The Cowboys finished the 2022 regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring (27.5 points per game) and 11th in total offense (354.9 yards per game), but the team managed just 282 total yards and one touchdown in the loss to the 49ers.
Dak Prescott threw two interceptions in that defeat after leading the league with a career-worst 15 picks.
The defeat at San Francisco marked another disappointing ending to a season for a Cowboys team who once again suffered an early playoff exit. Dallas have not advanced past the Divisional round of the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 1995 season.
Prescott had a long-running contract saga which came to an end three weeks ago, signing a four-year deal reportedly worth $160million after he had been tagged last offseason.
Two-time Pro Bowler Prescott only managed five games in 2020 due to a serious ankle injury as the Cowboys finished outside the playoffs with a 6-10 record.
McCarthy, who enters his second season in charge of the Cowboys in 2021, was holidaying in Florida when he found out Prescott's contract saga had ended and was delighted to secure his future.
"It's a lot easier to do cartwheels on the sand, I'll say that," McCarthy said. "Obviously I was very excited."
He added: "Dak is the keystone of this team. I'm excited about year two on offense. In a lot of ways, we didn't feel like we got to have a year one."
Since taking the starting role as a rookie in 2016 from an injured Tony Romo, Prescott has thrown for 17,634 yards with 106 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.
He has also rushed for 1,314 yards and a further 24 touchdowns.
Though he missed most of last season, Prescott is 10th among qualifying quarterbacks in yards per attempt (7.69) and 12th in passing plays of 25 yards or more since 2016.
The quarterback said earlier this month that he was close to being fully healthy following ankle surgery, well ahead of the September start for the 2021 season.
McCarthy added: "His presence and natural leadership ability is something that will continue to grow. You'll see that in the locker room."
The Texas franchise saw their NFL season come to a close in a 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional round last weekend.
That has signalled the start of an offseason shuffle among head coach Mike McCarthy's ranks, with half-a-dozen faces among those who will depart the team.
Alongside Davis and Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, defensive assistant George Edwards, analytics coach Kyle Valero and assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett are also leaving.
"We thank these men for their hard work, dedication and contributions to the Cowboys," McCarthy issued in a statement.
"Each of them represented our team and organisation at a high, professional level with class and commitment to making our team better.
"These were difficult decisions to make because of the great respect I have for each of them as a coach and person of character, combined with the experiences we've all gone through together.
"This is the hardest part of the business, and we wish them nothing but the best."
With a 12-5 winning record in the regular season, the Cowboys finished second in the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles.
They defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a resounding 31-14 Wild Card round victory to start their postseason campaign, but will now continue their wait for a first Super Bowl appearance since the 1995 season.
Gallup landed awkwardly when he caught a touchdown in the second quarter of the defeat, before limping off the field and leaving for the locker room on crutches.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed Gallup will undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm the severity of the injury but teammate Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy feared the worst.
"It was tough, very tough," Prescott said at the post-game news conference. "Coming in at half-time and going to see him, just unfortunate. A guy that I love. Can't get a better teammate than MG. Sick about it."
McCarthy added: "Feel terrible for Michael. Obviously made a huge play, but you could see just the way he came down."
Gallup has had 35 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns this season for the playoff-bound Cowboys.
McCarthy watched Thursday's 27-17 win over the New Orleans Saints while isolating in a hotel room in Frisco following his positive test.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn filled in to lead the side to victory over the Saints but McCarthy admitted he found it hard to watch and was eager to return.
"I’m hopeful to be in there sooner than later," McCarthy told the team website.
He added: "It was brutal just not to be a part of it. I just hope there’s no one next door, that’s for sure. That’d probably be a good story.
"But I think the emotion of it is like any true fan, I would assume. You’re rooting for your team. You’re rooting for your guys."
The Cowboys are not in action against until Sunday December 12 against the Washington Football Team, with McCarthy needing to test negative twice at least 24 hours apart to be permitted to return.
McCarthy praised Quinn and the coaching staff who filled in in his absence.
“I thought the staff did an incredible job under the leadership of Dan Quinn and [assistant head coach] Rob Davis," McCarthy said. “It’s all about the communication and the urgency of keeping your pace of operation intact.
"That’s the way we train, and that’s the way you want to ultimately play when you get to the game. I thought the dots definitely connected. Just very impressed and very thankful for the job the staff did."
ESPN reported on Monday that McCarthy, whose side have lost three of their last four games following a six-game winning streak, had tested positive for coronavirus.
The reports stated the Cowboys had suffered an outbreak of COVID-19 within their team camp, with starting right tackle Terence Steele, three offensive coaches and two strength coaches having to withdraw from Thursday's game.
Dallas subsequently confirmed McCarthy would not take to the field against the Saints due to COVID-19 protocols, though did not state if he had contracted the virus.
The statement also confirmed the team would conduct its Monday meeting virtually, with McCarthy cleared to carry on working in a remote capacity ahead of the game.
Dallas (7-4) sit top of the NFC East heading into Week 13, while New Orleans are third in the NFC South with a 5-6 record in 2021.
After he was fined $50,000 last season, McCarthy was hit with a $100,000 charge this year for violating OTA rules that restrict too much contact during the offseason sessions. Dallas will also lose an OTA practice in 2023 as a result. OTAs with live contact are barred by the collective bargaining agreement.
Last season, Dallas’ practice was flagged for "live contact violations" after the NFL obtained footage showing ramped-up contact from Cowboys players during 11-on-11 drills.
They were one of three teams to be fined in 2021 and have an OTA rescinded for practice violations. San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was fined $50,000 and the organization was fined $100,000, while the Jacksonville Jaguars were fined $200,000 and former coach Urban Meyer was docked $100,000.
Earlier this month, the Chicago Bears had to cancel an offseason workout because they violated NFL rules by having live contact during a session in May. New coach Matt Eberflus said the contact that occurred was because of overzealous players and not the team's practice structure. He said neither he nor the organization was fined.
The Cowboys reached the postseason for a second successive year with a 12-5 record, setting up a Monday Night Football showdown with the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium.
Dallas were beaten by the San Francisco 49ers at the same stage last season and come into the clash with the Tom Brady's Tampa Bay on the back of a 26-6 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jones has given head coach McCarthy his backing ahead of the playoff encounter.
When asked if McCarthy could pay the price for a defeat to the Bucs, he told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas: "No. I don't even want to... No. That's it.
"I don't need to go into all the pluses or minuses. I've got a lot more to evaluate Mike McCarthy on than this playoff game."
There are doubts about defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's future after he was approached by the Denver Broncos following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett.
Yet Jones is not contemplating the prospect of any members of his coaching staff moving on.
"I can't tell you how much confidence I've got in Mike and our coaching staff of being on top of where we are with this team right now," Jones said.
"They've got every nuance. They understand every frailty that we might have or we might have shown Sunday [against Washington].
"They've got everything in their grasp and in their understanding, and I have complete confidence in this coaching staff. It's outstanding. We've got a great chance to go down there and have success."
The Cowboys had a hugely disappointing first-round home playoff loss last season, going down 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers after earning the third seed in the NFC.
Long-time Cowboys owner Jones, who turns 80 in October, said they were in better shape for a Super Bowl push this season compared to last, fuelling the expectations on Mike McCarthy's side.
"Well, I need to win it. I need to win it, but I'll be candid with you, there's degrees," Jones told reporters on Tuesday on the first day of the Cowboys' training camp.
"I want to be fair to everybody concerned. We need to be in the playoffs. We need to be viable in the playoffs for it to be a successful season."
He added with a touch of humour: "I told them I've got a birthday coming up here real quick and I don't have time to have a bad time. It ain't on my schedule."
Amari Cooper, La'el Collins and Randy Gregory have all departed the Cowboys in the off-season.
"(Last year) we had it teed up pretty good, and in my mind we made a hell of a run at it," Jones said.
"I think we're in better shape today to make a run at it than when we were sitting here this time last year.
"I thought last year we had a chance to make a heck of a run at it and had people in place that if we were healthy enough, we might get 'em. And I think we're in better shape."
Jones also threw his support behind McCarthy, who has been Dallas' head coach since 2020, finishing his first season with a 6-10 record and missing the playoffs.
"I want to be real clear: He wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't think he was the man to lead this team to a Super Bowl," Jones said.
Jones added: "I like this staff. And frankly, I like the makeup of the players one year later that were on this team last year and I like the new players that we've brought on."
"There will be absolutely no change with coach McCarthy," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan.
"I am surprised someone would question Mike, the unprecedented situation everyone's been in. And on top of that, no one's making excuses, but we have had some real challenges in the injury category. If you look at his track record and his pedigree, he's consistently won year in and year out."
McCarthy signed a five-year deal with the Cowboys in January after a 13-year stint in Green Bay, where he led the Packers to nine playoff berths, six NFC North crowns and the Super Bowl title from the 2010 season.
The Packers' .615 winning percentage from 2006-18 trailed only the New England Patriots (.779) and Pittsburgh Steelers (.642) for the best in the NFL.
Green Bay never won fewer than six games during McCarthy's tenure there, but he's gotten off to a rough start in Dallas with the Cowboys heading into Week 15 with a 4-9 record.
"We have the utmost confidence that this ship is going to be righted quickly," Jones said. "And Mike's going to be the leader of this group."
Losing Dak Prescott to a gruesome compound fracture and dislocated ankle in Week 5 certainly did not help matters for McCarthy after the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback started all 64 games for the Cowboys from 2016-19.
Since Prescott's injury, the Cowboys turned to Andy Dalton at quarterback before he suffered a concussion and landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which forced the team to hand the keys of the offense to Ben DiNucci and Garrett Gilbert. Needless to say, the results have not been pretty.
Through Week 5, Dallas ranked first in the NFL in passing at 381.4 yards per game and third in the league in scoring at 32.6 points per game. Since Week 6, however, the Cowboys are 28th in the NFL in passing at 186.1 yards per game and 31st in scoring at 16.9 points per game.
While the offense has struggled mightily without its franchise quarterback, as well as Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith following his season-ending injury, the defense has been a mess all year.
Dallas are allowing a league-worst 30.77 points per game, which barely edges out the 30.75 points allowed by the 1960 expansion Cowboys for the worst single-season mark in franchise history.
Despite all their problems on offense and defense, the Cowboys can still win the NFC East. Dallas need to win their remaining three games and have the Washington Football Team go 0-3 the rest of the way to capture their third division crown in five years.
If Washington win once more, however, the Cowboys will miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since a four-year stretch from 2010-13.
Cooper, who is unvaccinated, has missed the last two Cowboys games, both of which have ended in defeat.
With three losses in their last four games, the Cowboys have gone from 6-1 to 7-4 and have seen their lead in the NFC East trimmed.
Dallas will hope to get back on track against a slumping Saints team on Thursday, though they may have to do so without Cooper once more.
Asked about Cooper, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the former first-round pick is "still not feeling the best".
"My gut would be if he doesn't practice tomorrow [Wednesday], I don't see him going to the game," said McCarthy, who himself will not be able to attend Thursday's game due to COVID-19 protocols.
Cooper has made 44 catches for 583 yards and five touchdowns this season.
He has been usurped as the top option in the Cowboys' passing game by last year's first-round pick CeeDee Lamb, who has 740 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his second season.
Lamb returned to practice this week after missing last week's overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders with a concussion and expects to play at New Orleans.
Quarterback Prescott sustained a compound fracture and dislocation to his right ankle in Week 5 in 2020, keeping him out of the rest of the year.
The two-time Pro Bowler had been setting a record-breaking pace, his 1,690 passing yards through four weeks comfortably the most by any player over the same period since 1960 – although the Cowboys went 1-3.
Fit again for the start of this season and now tied to a four-year, $160million contract, Prescott has returned in similarly impressive fashion.
His 403 passing yards and three TDs in the curtain-raiser against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came in a losing effort, but a slightly more modest Week 2 performance contributed to victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.
On Monday, against NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, Prescott completed 21 of 26 passes for 238 yards, three scores and no interceptions in a 41-21 win he described as "definitely special", in front of home support for the first time since his injury.
The 28-year-old's primitive passer rating for the year is at a career-high 110.1, and he feels he is reaching new heights in 2021.
"I said it earlier in the year, and I'll say it again: I think just getting hurt last year and having to sit back and watch football, [he gained] a different perspective and just different ways people play this game," Prescott said.
"Going back, the experience obviously has helped but just studying and preparing myself and then all the work that I've put in just to get back healthy, not only the leg but the shoulder... I feel like I'm playing the best I've ever played."
Dallas now lead the division with a 2-1 record, and coach Mike McCarthy feels Prescott is benefiting from leading a more competitive team this year.
While the QB has completed at least 80 per cent of his passes in the past two games (85.2 versus the Chargers, 80.8 against the Eagles), the Cowboys have also put up more than 150 rushing yards on each occasion (198 and 160).
Ezekiel Elliott has run for three TDs across those games, while Dallas' 139.3 rushing yards per game across the year rank fourth in the NFL.
The last team to complete 80 per cent of their passes and rush for 150 yards in consecutive games were the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, led by Joe Montana.
McCarthy said: "I think [Prescott] is clearly playing better now [than last year], in my opinion.
"Last year, we were in track meets. This is a clearly a different football team than last year. You're seeing three games where I felt like we've been very complementary both on offense and defense.
"He's doing a lot in the run game as far as handling the checks and things like that. Yeah, I feel like he's playing better this year than last."
The Cardinals improved to 4-2 as they thrashed the Cowboys 38-10 in Texas, running all over their opponents as they amassed 261 total rushing yards in the one-sided contest on Monday.
Dallas were without starting quarterback Dak Prescott, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the Week 5 win over the New York Giants. The defeat drops them to 2-4 for the season, though they still remain top of the NFC East.
Running back Elliott insisted the result was not down to Prescott's absence, instead pointing to his pair of fumbles in the first half as key moments. Having lost possession on back-to-back drives, he accepted responsibility for the result.
"I don't think we can use that [Dak's absence] as an excuse," Elliott told the media.
"I'm just going to keep saying it over and over - I started the game out with two fumbles, gave the ball away and gave them all the momentum they need to go take off.
"I want to say I'm sorry and this one is on me. I need to be better."
Both turnovers led to touchdowns for Arizona and, after Kenyan Drake put the Cardinals 14-0 up, Tony Pollard - not Elliott - was on duty at running back for the Cowboys.
Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy made clear that despite the change during the game, Elliott remains the team's lead back.
"Every player who plays in this league, and it's no different on our football team, if you don't take care of the football it obviously affects your opportunities," McCarthy said in his post-game media conference.
"Tony got an opportunity, I thought he did some really good things. At the end of the day, Zeke is our bell cow and we need to get it right. He's part of the plan and he's going to be part of our success.
"We need to get it right and take care of the football, that's for everyone who touches the football on our team."
Elliott finished the game with 49 rushing yards on 12 attempts, while Pollard had 31 yards on 10 carries.
The Cowboys are on the road in Week 7, taking on divisional rivals Washington.
The Cowboys fell to a 2-5 record after Sunday's 25-3 defeat at FedExField, where quarterback Andy Dalton was hurt following a dirty late hit by Jon Bostic.
Cowboys head coach McCarthy was unhappy with his team's performance as they slipped to third in the NFC East.
"We're not doing the basics. Let's quit candy coating it," he told reporters.
"I can't stand up here and keep talking about taking care of the football, taking the ball away and just the fundamentals.
"Whether we haven't had enough time together or whatever the case is, at the end of the day, the schedule is set and we need to continue to work because we need improvement each day, each week especially before we go to Philadelphia."
McCarthy, who coached the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons before being fired in 2018, took charge of the Cowboys earlier this year.
The 56-year-old believes his players are still responding to him despite a slow start to the season.
"Definitely. I can only tell you what goes on every day as far as the preparation, the daily communication, interaction with the players throughout the program, McCarthy said.
"We knew there would be adjustments throughout as a football team, we've been hit with a number of challenges that we're just not pushing through right now.
"We need to continue to work and I believe we'll push through the other end."
With the Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1) topping the NFC East, it is the first time in NFL history that each team in a division has had fewer than three wins through Week 7 (excluding strike seasons), as per NFL Research.
McCarthy was officially presented as the replacement for Jason Garrett on Wednesday at the Cowboys' Ford Center in Frisco.
The former Green Bay Packers coach spent the 2019 season out of the league having been fired from his previous position in 2018.
However, Jones was impressed enough at interview to hand him the reins to one of the most storied franchises in the NFL.
McCarthy spoke of his excited reaction to Jones' comments, telling a media conference: "I jumped up and hugged him. That's a moment and a story I'll be telling the rest of my life."
Asked what expectation he faces taking arguably the highest profile job in the league, McCarthy replied: "The tradition and history here is so unique, it's an iconic franchise.
"When you think about expectation, the goal will never change here, it's about winning championships, but the expectation is to trust the process."
Quarterback Dak Prescott is due to be a free agent in the offseason. However, the Cowboys are expected to eventually sign him to a lucrative extension.
McCarthy has worked with Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in his career, and he is relishing the prospect of providing tutelage for Prescott.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to work with Dak. What he's done so far is very impressive," he added.
"I've always been impressed with him, you're going to be able to run the whole offense and then some.
"Our offensive system will be based around making the quarterback successful. We've got a great one to work with."
The Cowboys crashed out of last year's postseason with a 23-17 Wild Card game loss to the San Francisco 49ers after topping the NFC East and finishing as the conference third seed.
McCarthy, who was assured of his job irrespective of Sunday's result earlier this week by owner Jerry Jones, is also seeking his first playoff win in three seasons with the Cowboys.
"We're not living in it, that's for sure," McCarthy told reporters when asked if last year's Wild Card exit had been discussed in the lead-up to Monday's game. "We've acknowledged it.
"The thing that we're really focused on is what we've done, who we are and making sure we have our plan as tight as possible going into this game to do what we need to do to win this game.
"We've had time for the theme speeches, they've been good triggers to talk about, as far as secret wound of losing a playoff game. We've definitely experienced that.
"We talked about the buffalos running through the storm and resiliency. That has served us well, all those experiences are the gold in our concierge. That's really who we are.
"The reality is we're not getting super philosophical, it's a ridiculously long answer here. The reality of it is we need to make sure our focus is tight and we're going into Tampa to win a game on the road against an outstanding football team."
The Cowboys finished the 2022 regular season with a 12-5 record, although they lost two of their final four games, including an uninspiring 26-6 defeat to the Washington Commanders last Sunday.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown an interception in each of the past seven games, including eight in their past five.
"Like how we function internally, we're evaluating everything we do," McCarthy said about Prescott. "Every walk-through, if there's a correction, every practice, you're always correcting to improve.
"That's part of your application and evaluation process. The things that haven’t gone well are the things you learn most from and that's life. That is our gold… We'll be ready to go."
The shift in responsibilities comes after the departure of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who left at the start of this week and has joined up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His exit followed the departures of six others, including assistant head coach Rob Davis and offensive line coach Joe Philbin, in the wake of the Cowboys struggling offensively in a 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round game.
McCarthy's evolving role had been anticipated and was verified by team owner and general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice-president Stephen Jones on Wednesday.
Jerry Jones said: "This is the logical step to build on it and use what we've established, if you will, the foundation of the things we've got. This is the time for us to build on it. That's what this is, a building step."
Moore had been the Cowboys' offensive coordinator since 2019, with Dallas leading the NFL in total yards in 2019 and 2021, also having the league's top-ranked scoring offense last season at 31.2 points per game.
The Cowboys finished the 2022 regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring (27.5 points per game) and 11th in total offense (354.9 yards per game), but the team managed just 282 total yards and one touchdown in the loss to the 49ers.
Dallas have not advanced past the Divisional round of the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 1995 season.
Quarterback Dak Prescott had a career-worst 15 picks over the season, and Stephen Jones called for sweeping changes to be made, saying: "Sometimes in order to take the next step, you have to get uncomfortable.
"Sometimes for Dak to take the next step, he might have to get uncomfortable and do something different.
"For Mike to take the next step, he’s got to do something different. For us to take the next step, same thing.
“If you keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results, good luck."
The Cowboys missed out on the NFL playoffs this season and belatedly confirmed Garrett would be departing on Sunday, with his contract up on January 14.
Having taken their time to dismiss the nine-year coach, Dallas moved swiftly to bring in the next man.
The NFL Network reports former Green Bay Packers coach McCarthy has signed a deal with the team.
McCarthy, 56, who won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers, was a man in demand after spending a year away from the NFL following his sacking in Green Bay.
He had interviews with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants before heading to Texas over the weekend as Garrett's future became increasingly clear.
It is said Marvin Lewis was the only other option considered before the Cowboys made McCarthy their eighth permanent head coach.
Prescott has guided the Cowboys to two playoff appearances in 2016 and 2018, though Dallas missed the postseason in 2019 as coach Jason Garrett lost his job.
Former Green Bay Packers coach McCarthy has since replaced Garrett and he has high hopes for two-time Pro Bowler Prescott.
"I think number one, you just look at what he's done during his time in the league. I think he's been impressive," McCarthy said. "I've been impressed with him since the first time I saw him play live up in Green Bay [in 2016], when they came to Lambeau there.
"First impressions, I think are very important when you see quarterbacks on the field because in-person evaluations, particularly at that position, have always carried more weight as far as how I felt about a player. So I think he's gotten off to a great start. He's built a really good foundation. I'm told he's a tremendous leader.
"Defenses get you to the championship. The quarterbacks win championships. And I definitely think Dak is that quarterback."
Prescott threw for a career-high 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns last season but the 26-year-old's future is still up in the air.
The Cowboys want to sign Prescott to a long-term contract, but they could be forced to utilise the franchise tag if negotiations are unsuccessful.
"Dak is in a business situation right now," McCarthy said. "I've gone through this as a head coach with a number of my players in the past. Like anything, it's just time to be patient and let the business people work out the business matters.
"That's really where we are as an organisation and that's where Dak is, in a personal fight to get a contract done."
