ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Building a winning culture takes time, and few know that better than Broncos' right tackle Mike McGlinchey.
When McGlinchey was drafted by the 49ers in 2018, he joined a team that was coming off of a 6-10 season. McGlinchey's rookie year proved to be similarly difficult, as the team finished the 2018 season with a 4-12 record. After winning two of their four final games, however, there seemed to be some hope for the following year.
Year 2 for McGlinchey saw this hope become reality, as San Francisco posted a 13-3 record and made a Super Bowl appearance.
As McGlinchey now enters his second season in Denver, he believes that the Broncos are continuing to build positive momentum and could also find increased success.
"I think there's certainly an internal belief more than there was when I got here a year ago," McGlinchey said Wednesday. "People believe that we can win, people believe that we're on the right track [and] people have bought into the program."
McGlinchey believes that several key factors play a role in gradually building a winning culture, and he said belief is a foundational one. Continuity is also essential, and as the Broncos head into 2024, McGlinchey is eager to see how it will translate to on-field performance.
Head Coach Sean Payton, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph and Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi will all enter their second season in Denver in their respective roles, and McGlinchey believes this consistent leadership will lay a strong foundation for progress on both sides of the ball.
"It's been a great deal for us to continue to learn the little nuances of what's going on here," McGlinchey said. "… That extra year allows the development and the skill development to [help us] gain that confidence to keep moving forward."
This confidence began to take hold during the second half of the 2023 season, as the Broncos finished 7-4 and won five consecutive games during one stretch.
"I think certainly it definitely materialized a lot last year," McGlinchey said. "… The way that we finished that season, the things that we did well we built on, and the things that we didn't do well, we identified. And that rolls over into the spring, and [in] the spring you gain confidence moving forward to the fall — and certainly that's all camp [is] about, is just building that confidence."
Limiting mistakes will also play a key role in building positive momentum, and Payton has identified ball security and avoiding penalties as two areas with room for improvement heading into 2024. McGlinchey agrees with this sentiment, noting that to "learn how to win is also [to] learn how to stop beating yourself."
McGlinchey believes that the more his teammates play together under the same system, the better prepared they will be to improve in these areas.
"I think with the experience of another year of doing this all together … that's going to help us go a long way," he said.
While it will take time, McGlinchey is confident that the most important factorwill be continuous hard work and patience as the team moves in a positive direction.
"I think we're on the right track," McGlinchey said. "We're not all the way there yet, but that's why we [have to] keep learning."
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JONAH ELLISS SHOWS PROMISE IN HIS NFL DEBUT
Outside linebacker Jonah Elliss made his NFL debut on Sunday against the Colts, and it didn't take long for him to make an impact.
Elliss' performance, highlighted by a sack and quarterback pressure that led to a Denver interception, was fueled by his excitement to be out on the field with his teammates for the first time.
"It was unbelievable," Elliss said of the preseason game. "That's the moment kids dream of. … It was truly amazing being out there, and it was so fun just playing with the guys."
Payton was pleased with Elliss' performance as well as the ongoing competition at the linebacker position. As preseason and training camp progress, Elliss and his teammates will look to build off of Sunday's positive momentum while also working to clean up some of their mistakes.
"His taking on the run, his run fits and then developing his rush plan," Payton said of what he's seen from Elliss. "He was speed, and then he had a counter [move] in college — you saw it. Speed, speed with a spin and then it's adding power to that. It's developing his rush plan and certainly taking on the run whether it's point of attack or backside."
While there is plenty of work to still be done, Elliss is confident that he is up for the challenge.
"The skill level is everyone is the best," he said. "… Everything is just one notch higher. You could definitely tell there was a difference out there, but it was [still] football."
