what is the tomorrow for the Cowboys?

The Dallas Cowboys jerseys face Texas-sized pressure to become the first team to enjoy home-field advantage at a Super Bowl when the NFL title game is staged at Cowboys Stadium in February.

Team owner Jerry Jones made it clear he was turning up the heat as never before when he announced a two-year extension for coach Wade Phillips after a late-season surge in 2009.

"I'm encouraged by the progress we made this year, but in no way are we satisfied. This contract represents that," Jones said. "Two years in the NFL is an eternity, but it has to be urgent. It has to be addressed as though there is no tomorrow."

He added he expected the Cowboys to "be knocking on the door" when Super Bowl XLV was contested in North Texas.

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There is reason to think Jones' dream could come true. Dallas is loaded with talent and used 2009 to bury many of its demons. Instead of another late-season swoon, the Cowboys swept to the NFC East title by winning their last three regular-season games. They then drummed the Philadelphia Eagles jerseys out of the playoffs, securing the franchise's first postseason win in 13 years.

But the late-season charge ended as quickly as it had begun with a 34-3 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round.

"Now we know what we have to do to get to that point, and now we know what we have to do to take the next step," quarterback Tony Romo said after the disappointment suffered at the Metrodome.

Linebacker Bradie James acknowledges the pressure associated with wearing the helmet with the lone star. "We're always judged by championships here with all the great history and the tradition," he said at the start of the offseason. "We want to be remembered just like those other guys, Emmitt Smith, Moose (fullback Daryl Johnston) and all those guys. The only way you can do that is go out and win."

It should help that most of the key players return to an offense that piled up more than 6,000 yards for the first time in team history (6,390). The Cowboys erupted for 75 plays of 20-plus yards. They averaged a league-best 6.3 yards a play.

There used to be legitimate questions surrounding new Romo jersey. He answered many of those in 2009 by completing the most throws (347) for the most yards (4,483) in franchise history. Determined to reduce his turnovers, he was intercepted only nine times. Romo also proved his durability by becoming the first passer in club annals to take every snap, and he played big down the stretch by throwing at least one touchdown pass in each of the last 12 regular-season games.

But like his teammates, Romo cannot wait to redeem himself after the season ended on such a sour note. He lost two fumbles and was picked off in the loss to Minnesota.

"I'm sure when we get away from it, we'll be able to look back and see we improved in certain areas and have stuff to build on," he said after that drubbing.

Dallas' second-ranked offense could be more even prolific in 2010 as talented rookie wideout Dez Bryant joins a brew that already includes Romo, star tight end Jason Witten, breakout wide receiver Miles Austin and a talented troika of running backs.

Romo is cautiously optimistic about working with his dynamic new playmaker.

"Dez has a good feel for the game. He has great body control, and that's going to allow him to use his size and speed to an even better degree," Romo told NFL Network last week. "It's hard usually for young receivers to come right into the league and perform at a high level; you don't see that a ton. It happens every once in a while, but it's difficult."

Bryant is doing his best to quickly assimilate into his first pro offense.

"It's crazy — just a lot of weapons at one time on the field," he said after a practice in June. "It's going to be hard to stop. … It's exciting to be able to be out there with those guys.

"They're trying to get me to learn everything as soon as possible. I'm doing a good job, and it's just great."

Bryant's progress could determine how the team uses Roy Williams jersey, who has 57 catches in 25 games since joining the Cowboys midway through the 2008 season. Despite his struggles, the ever-confident Williams thinks Bryant will be hard-pressed to supplant him.

"I'm in it to win it. If somebody can pull in here and take my spot, they've got to be a baaad man," said Williams, who said he and Romo were connecting like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice this offseason. "It's mine to lose, I guess you can say. I'm not going to do that. The competition level is going to be high."

And despite getting sacked six times in the loss to the Vikings— longtime left tackle Flozell Adams missed most of the game with a calf injury — Romo is unfazed after Adams' release and the promotion of Doug Free to protect his blind side.

"We wouldn't have made the decision — the organization wouldn't have — if they didn't feel strongly in Doug and they didn't feel strongly in the offensive line," Romo said.

Left tackle Alex Barron was acquired from the St. Louis Rams in case Free flops.

But if the Cowboys flop, it could be a long time before they get another chance to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium.

"I know where the Super Bowl is this year, and the owner knows where it is," all-pro linebacker DeMarcus jersey Ware said. "He lets us know where it is every time he talks to us. It's a big thing, and it's going to motivate us. If you are hosting a Super Bowl, why not play in it?"