Barkevious Mingo Coming into His Own After First Big Game vs. Colts
Over the last two seasons, the Cleveland Browns have not seen much production from their first-round draft picks.
Justin Gilbert was the eighth overall pick, and he has barely made a dent in the lineup this year.
Johnny Manziel was the second player selected by the Browns in the first round and will finally start on Sunday.
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Last year’s first-round choice, linebacker Barkevious Mingo, might be finally playing some meaningful minutes as well.
It would be tough to argue that Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis wasn’t Mingo’s best game as a pro. He started off his rookie season with three consecutive games registering a sack, but none was quite as impactful as Sunday's.
Against Andrew Luck and the Colts, Mingo had five QB hits, a sack and a pass defensed. He was all over the field. This was a staunch difference from what people had become accustomed to seeing from him. To the naked eye, Mingo had been as close to a bust as you could find.
What many fans have disregarded is just how injured he has been this season. Back in November, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer reported that he might need shoulder surgery this offseason. That hasn’t stopped him from playing, however.
It did not just miraculously get better. No, it seems he is just learning to play tougher.
"Mingo!!!! Balling with one arm!!!
— Jerod (@JRCherry3) December 7, 2014"
The numbers actually say Mingo is having a productive season. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he is the 10th-ranked 3-4 outside linebacker this season.
And while his pass coverage numbers are not good and his rush ranking is less than average, his run defense ranks fourth in the league at his position.
Unfortunately, getting drafted sixth overall means you need to rush the passer as well as stop the run. It seems he started to do that on Sunday.
Let’s take a look at three plays in which Mingo looked much closer to the player the Browns thought they had drafted than ever before.
Play 1
This is the very first possession of the game for the Colts. They are facing a third down and are in an obvious passing situation. Mingo is spit out wide and will be matched up one-on-one with the left tackle.
As we have seen far too often with Mingo, he gets stonewalled. This time, he even draws a double-team as the guard drops over to help for a second.
The pressure is starting to collapse the middle of the pocket, which is going to force Luck to move toward Mingo. Instead of just getting swallowed up by the blocker, however, Mingo punches inside and starts to drive his way downfield as he sees Luck moving towards him.
As Luck prepares to throw, Mingo sheds his block and delivers a hit. This forced an errant throw, and the Colts had to punt. This was a plus on the grade sheet for Mingo.
Play 2
This is another third down for Indianapolis, but this time, Mingo is lined up on the right side of the formation.
He does not know it yet, but the Colts are going to show him the ultimate sign of disrespect. They are going to leave a running back alone to block a top-10 draft pick who was supposed to be a pass-rusher.
Mingo can’t do anything about teams not respecting his pass-rushing ability. Honestly, he hasn’t earned any respect in that category. As soon as he rushes, he meets former Browns first-round bust Trent Richardson in the backfield.
Mingo, who too often in his short career has relied solely on speed moves, uses a power rush. He bullies Richardson backwards and nearly pushes him into Luck.
Mingo then uses his strength to throw Richardson off to his right and hits Luck right as he is throwing again. Once again, the pressure and hit cause Luck to miss his receiver, and the Colts are forced to punt.
Play 3
This time, we fast forward to the fourth quarter, and the Browns are desperately trying to cling to their lead. With the Colts backed up into the shadow of their own end zone, Luck is back in a shotgun formation.
Once again, Mingo will rush from a wide position, and before the snap it looks like he will be facing the left tackle. What he does not know is that the Colts will let him rush free and rely on the running back to keep him off of Luck.
This time, Mingo correctly uses his speed to get to the running back’s outside shoulder before he is set for the block.
Mingo has far too much speed for any running back to stay in front of him one-on-one. He blows right by him and sacks Luck for a four-yard loss.
Sure, Mingo was the beneficiary of some favorable matchups when rushing the quarterback, but kudos to him for taking advantage of them.
We had not seen him create much chaos in the backfield since the first three games of his career. Welcome back to the backfield, Mingo. The fans and your coaches are pleased to see you there.
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