ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Mike McGlinchey was in only his second season when he and the San Francisco 49ers reached Super Bowl LIV.
"[It] feels like you're cheating the system a little bit," McGlinchey said Friday, "because you get to experience something so cool, so young."
Even at that moment, the young offensive lineman knew it was a precious opportunity — and that it could be a final, fleeting chance for his older teammates.
"'I don't know what this is like, but I know I have to do it for them, because I don't know if they're going to get another shot at this,'" McGlinchey remembered thinking.
Six years later, the Broncos' veteran right tackle is still chasing that return appearance. He joins Dre Greenlaw and John Franklin-Myers as the only players on the Broncos' active roster to play in a Super Bowl, and McGlinchey recognizes the value of the Broncos' opportunity to make a run this season.
"I've been fortunate to play for some really good teams and be a part of some really good teams," McGlinchey said. "You understand the rarity of what happens. Eight years, and this is the second time I've ever gotten the [No.] 1 seed. There's people that have been in the game longer that have never even been in the playoffs. These opportunities come rarely, and you have to appreciate the opportunity that it is and the gravity of it and the importance of the urgency to get your job done. Because you never know when you're going to come back — and if you are. You never know if the next snap is going to be your last.
"When it becomes this meaningful and this important to the team, organization, teammates and the city that we represent, you have to take that passionately and do your best to capitalize on the moment that presents itself."
Head Coach Sean Payton emphasized the value of having players like McGlinchey who know "the journey it takes" to reach a Super Bowl, and he also stressed the rare nature of earning the No. 1 seed and the benefits that accompany that position.
"It's not easy," Payton said Friday. "Nothing's given or taken for granted. You know what I mean? These No. 1 seeds aren't like car-wash coupons. They're hard [to get]."
As the Broncos await their opponent for the Divisional Round, their understanding of the upcoming opportunity is clear.
BACK ON THE FIELD
With four possible opponents for the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Broncos' focus during Friday's practice was internal.
"We kind of had an OTA-type practice where obviously everything we did today was competitive," Payton said. "Offense versus defense. We didn't try to simulate one of the four teams' looks that we're going to play. It was just good on good with a focus on third down, red zone, two-minute. We'll do the same tomorrow, and then these guys will be back [on] Monday or Tuesday based on the day of our game."
Payton said he didn't want Friday's practice to be "fill-in time" and he wanted to emphasize improvement on third down and in the red zone. He also pointed to the two-minute drill as a spot where he wanted to see competitive practice periods.
"These games are going to come down to a two-minute [scenario]," Payton said.
Especially offensively, Payton said he wants to see improvement from his group as the playoffs arrive.
"We're going to have to play better," Payton said. "I'd love to say that we pulled a bunch back, but the tape from last week wasn't real good offensively. [It] wasn't great at Kansas City, either. It was good enough to win that game. … We have to be sharper as we get to these next few games here."
