It was an absolute 40-34 thriller between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Eve. The Cowboys walked away with the home win by barely outplaying the backup-quarterbacked NFC East foes.

Although the game didn't matter nearly as much as expected to before the Cowboys' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, this one was all about getting answers.

It appears to me that they got one to one of the most important questions of the season. What's their best shot at winning in the postseason? Offense or defense? To me, the answer is clear.

And it's time for the Cowboys to embrace a new identity.

It's time for the Cowboys to shift their mentality

Yes, there was a time when Minshew Mania was one of the biggest things in the NFL. But the former Washington State star isn't a starting-caliber quarterback in this league. Yet the Cowboys defense made him look like that and more.

"This is a defensive-first operation," said Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy in October, fresh off of a big win over the L.A. Rams in Week 5.

It made sense. Micah Parsons was playing out of his mind for Dan Quinn and the team appeared to have endless depth up front and a very solid secondary led by Trevon Diggs. But the reality is very different now.

Without two of their starting three cornerbacks and down their middle linebacker (who could return in the playoffs along with DT Johnathan Hankins), this defense has struggled significantly.

This isn't a unit that will win you playoff games as evidenced by the Eagles averaging 6.4 yards per play with a backup quarterback. The Cowboys allowed:

• 8-of-14 third-down conversion attempts
• 2-of-3 fourth-down conversion attempts
• 3-of-5 red-zone attempts (TD)

To be completely fair, though, the Cowboys defense did record FOUR takeaways, which proved to be game-changers. But on a play-by-play basis, they struggled.

Meanwhile – despite an ugly, hideous pick-six early in the game – Dak Prescott and the offense picked apart the Eagles' second-best pass defense. Prescott completed 77% of his passes while passing for 347 yards and three touchdowns while posting a 124.3 rating.

Moving forward, it's time for the Cowboys to bet on the offense to go on a run as Super Bowl contenders. That means giving their quarterback even more control and taking pressure off of him by being more aggressive on early downs. Too often is Prescott asked to be a superhero in third-and-long situations.

Winning in the playoffs will come as a result of the offense stepping up. But for that, the Cowboys must embrace it as their identity and aim to become a more aggressive football team.

Featured image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports