For those about to rock: the music was loud and the mood light as the Patriots got ready for the Panthers. Get your groove on as we take you Inside New England's Super Bowl 38 preparations

You see the stone face on the sideline and hear the monotone, expressionless voice in interviews and assume Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a dark cloud with a whistle around his neck, and his team is forever bracing for a clap of thunder.

Image and the reality don't always mesh. During Super Bowl week, the coach was plenty loose. His team reflected it during its victory over the Panthers and in the week preceding it.

"Did you like the music?" Belichick said as practice ended three days before the Super Bowl. Here he was, the allegedly uptight coach in one of the most pressurized weeks of his life, and he was more interested in discussing U2 than cover 2.

Music blared throughout the Patriots' practice in the Texans' indoor facility to acclimate the team to game day noise. I had the privilege of being the pool reporter assigned by the Pro Football Writers of America to cover the Patriots' practices, so I doubled as a music critic. Most of the songs were pretty good, although I could have done without "Hell's Bells" by AC/DC.

Music from the NFL Films archive started things off. Great music to return punts to. Then came Michael Jackson selections that were met with mixed reviews. While Jackson's "Another Part of Me" played, quarterback Tom Brady practiced a play that called for him to punt after the team lined up as if it were going for it on fourth down. Belichick's pal Jon Bon Jovi got some play time when the defense was practicing. So did Van Halen. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis requested and received some Bruce Springsteen while the offense did its thing. Tedy Bruschi sang along on the sideline.

The songs were chosen from a list provided by the head coach. Bon Jovi and Springsteen were mandatory. "It's one of the few things I have control over," Belichick cracked.

Most teams play white noise to simulate stadium racket. "We used to attempt that, but it just gave me a headache," Belichick said. "It was four Excedrin after practice. This is loud. You can't hear anything. But it doesn't seem as bad."

Many of the Patriots always will associate the song "Brick House" with their Super Bowl experience. In a midweek meeting, "coaches tape" took on a different meaning when the team was shown a tape of inside linebackers coach Pepper Johnson awkwardly dancing to the tune at a Super Bowl event during his rookie season 17 years ago. The team was rolling in the aisles.

Somehow, my mind's eye had a difficult time picturing a pairing of Belichick and Snoop Dogg, but there it was at Saturday's walk-through practice. They shared a couple of chuckles and backslaps, and Belichick complimented Dogg on his outfit--a bright red velour jacket and red sweats and a lei around his neck. "Snoop's got me beat on fashion," Belichick said. "I can't keep up with him."

Dogg is a friend of Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest. Late in the practice week, other friends and family also visited. Belichick's children and father, Steve, showed up. So did Ravens defensive line coach Rex Ryan, the twin brother of Patriots outside linebackers coach Rob Ryan.

While the Patriots were focused and efficient during their practices at the Texans' indoor facility, there were lots of smiles and lively banter. During an offensive drill, Johnson played catch with Belichick's son. Team vice chairman Jonathan Kraft picked up a ball and tossed it around with quarterback Kliff Kingsbury, who is on injured reserve. While the defense practiced, Brady chatted up owner Bob Kraft.

Brady seemed to go through Super Bowl week with a perpetual smile on his face. Whether he was trying to talk referee Ed Hochuli out of a penalty or signing autographs for a youth football team, the smile never left. It was even bigger than usual after the Thursday practice when Brady claimed victory over receiver Bethel Johnson in a punting contest. Brady screamed and ran around as if he had won his personal Super Bowl.

Brady was serious when he had to be--such as when he calmly led the Patriots 37 yards in 1:04 and set up the winning field goal.

That drive was the fruit of hours of preparation. During one practice, he was coach as much as quarterback, instructing receiver David Givens how to run a route against different coverages and running the route himself to demonstrate, and then telling receiver Deion Branch to run a hook-in about a yard deeper than he was running it. Brady might have a future in coaching, considering both receivers scored touchdowns and Branch had 10 catches for 143 yards and Givens five for 69.

Instead of installing the entire game plan the first week, the norm for most Super Bowl teams with two weeks to prepare, Belichick had an idea: The Patriots would use that week to heal (no practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), work on deficiencies and study the Panthers.

The extra days off for the players allowed the coaching staff to study tape extensively. The coaches watched every snap from the Panthers' 16 regular-season and three playoff games. Additionally, some defensive coaches watched tape from the last several times a Dan Henning-coached offense faced a Belichick-coached defense, dating to six years ago, when Henning was with the Bills and Belichick with the Jets. Offensive coaches dusted off old tapes from when Panthers coach John Fox was running the Giants' defense against Belichick-coached teams. Patriots coaches even watched a 2002 preseason game between the Panthers and Patriots.