Broncos OL Mike McGlinchey references iconic 'Step Brothers' quote to describe level of pressure

With a win over the Cincinnati Bengals (7-8) this Sunday, the Denver Broncos (9-6) can clinch a playoff spot in the AFC for the first time since their Super Bowl 50 victory in 2015.

Surely, there’s some pressure that comes with attempting to snap a near-decade long postseason drought, right? Well, not exactly, according to Mike McGlinchey. The Broncos right tackle said Thursday it’s more of a feeling of “excitement,” using a quote from the movie “Step Brothers” to get his point across.

“I don’t know if it’s pressure or just excitement,” McGlinchey said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “When everything you set out for and all your goals are right in front of you, you tend to play a little bit tighter, you think a little bit harder about how you go about your process just because you want it so bad. You’ve been working for now eight, nine months, 10 months on getting to the playoffs. So, I wouldn’t say it’s so much pressure as it is excitement to achieve the goal we set out to achieve.

“But you want to make sure you stay in the process. You don’t want to make the game too big, too small. It’s not the Catalina Wine Mixer. You just want to, day-by-day, control what you can control and execute to the best of your ability, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Broncos looking to snap lengthy postseason drought in Week 17 at Bengals

The Broncos had a chance to clinch a playoff spot last Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6). A second half collapse derailed that, and their four-game winning streak. They remain capable of earning a spot with a win at Cincinnati or in Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1).

The Broncos currently have a 76% chance of making the playoffs. A loss to the Bengals would knock that down to 59%.

“I think you could feel it the last few home games. In my two years here, these last two home games have felt a little bit different. The energy feels different,” McGlinchey said. “These people are believing in our team again. And we like the fact we’ve given them a reason to.

“We’ve got to make sure we back it up, right? We’ve got to deliver on the excitement, and I know a [nine]-year drought is not something this organization is used to. The Denver Broncos are a premier organization in our league. And we want to make sure we get it back there and remain there.”