Bill Belichick strode through the crowded locker room - his head down, his arms swinging, his face set with the serious look of a man on a mission.
The Patriots coach ignored the players and reporters filling his domain. He had something to take care of before Wednesday's practice.
Rodney Harrison had seen that determination countless times.
''His motto is, 'Listen fellas, I'm going to do everything I can to make this team better, so whatever decision I make, it's not about you. It's not about me. It's about the team,' '' New England's former star safety said. ''You can do nothing but respect that.''
It's the Belichick Way.
It's the Patriots Way.
And it's worked for a decade, from the Super Bowl championship in the 2001 season to the best record in the NFL this season. Players change. Assistant coaches leave. The Patriots Way endures.
The approach has many parts - focus on team over individual success, prepare thoroughly, shut out distractions, build team depth and look no further than the next game.
It has one goal - winning.
''When you embody the Patriots spirit, it's guys that aren't worried about who gets the recognition,'' said Harrison, now an analyst on NBC's Football Night in America. ''If you win football games, everybody looks good.
''The other thing about the Patriots Way is preparation. When you prepare everyone, it creates depth and it begins to build confidence in guys who accept their roles.''
Belichick's players prepare exhaustively, even for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins that means nothing in the standings. The Patriots (13-2) already have homefield advantage as long as they're in the AFC playoffs.
Few situations arise in games that the players haven't seen in practice. No detail is too small. After all, it might save a game that can lead to a title, so Belichick springs questions on players during meetings.
''I can remember my first week being here,'' said linebacker Rob Ninkovich, who joined the Patriots as a free agent before last season. ''I was sitting there before the Buffalo game and he's like, 'Rob, could you name all their tight ends and their strengths and weaknesses?' ''
The nervous newcomer was speechless. So he opened his book to look it up.
''He was like, 'close your book,' '' Ninkovich recalled, ''and then he came up to me and said, 'Hey, you've got to know their shoe size by the time you play them, so take this as a lesson.' ''
Read the entire by AP Sports Writers Teresa Walker in Nashville and Brett Martel in New Orleans at: http://bit.ly/f80Ltr
