SANTA CLARA — Less than 10 minutes into the 49ers' 2022 season, Mike McGlinchey had a moment that he’d like to have back. But instead, the right tackle simply will move forward.
In the Chicago rain, in a third-and-7 situation, Bears rookie defensive lineman Dominique Robinson quickly beat McGlinchey to the inside to sack Trey Lance and force a 49ers punt.
McGlinchey immediately ran to the sideline without offering to help his quarterback up off the rain-soaked grass. On Thursday, the fifth-year pro explained what his thought process was after the play.
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“I was pissed that I got beat on the one play, and I just wanted to scrap it as much as possible,” McGlinchey told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I didn’t think about anything else. It wasn’t a part of my routine, or a part of anything stupid or selfish. It was just a pissed off moment and that’s all it was.
“I’ve definitely always prided myself on someone who picks my teammates up, and that wasn’t my best moment in that regard. But there was nothing malicious or intentional about it.”
McGlinchey has been working with Derin McMains, a sports performance coach, since the 2021 offseason. It has helped the right tackle overcome his tendency to become fixated on the mistakes he makes on the field and move forward.
After McGlinchey allowed the sack and hustled towards the bench, the Notre Dame product thought about what he would have done differently but didn’t obsess over it like he would have at the beginning of his NFL career.
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McGlinchey bounced back, only allowing one additional pressure (a hurry) through 36 pass-blocking plays in Chicago. His healthier state of mind has helped him not allow a sack since, giving him a total of one sack and four hurries allowed through three games.
For perspective, Trent Williams and Aaron Banks, who are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in PFF overall blocking grades, respectively. have allowed four pressures (all hurries) each.
Williams, who is now out for four to six weeks with a high-ankle sprain, leaves McGlinchey as the most experienced member of the 49ers' offensive line. But the right tackle won’t put any additional pressure on his shoulders.
McGlinchey has kept his practice going with McMains, with two sessions a week during the season and once a week otherwise.
“I don’t want to leave any stone unturned, especially at this level,” McGlinchey said. “Trying to find any way you can to get yourself to be better, and one of the best at what you do, that’s always been the goal since I started playing.
“Something that I try to pride myself on and something I struggled with in the past. It’s something I feel that is out of my game now and definitely something that I’m excited to keep working on.”
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McGlinchey’s shorter memory is akin to the now-famous fictional coach Ted Lasso’s motto.
“You know what the happiest animal on the earth is?” Lasso says on the eponymous series. “It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.”
All kidding aside, McGlinchey is in a contract year.
Keeping his mental game strong could set the lineman up for a formidable payday heading into the 2023 season and certainly would help the 49ers meet their goal of playing deep into the postseason.