FOXBOROUGH — A potential replacement for Jamie Collins had one of his biggest plays of the season for the Patriots against the Bills last Sunday. That the play from Barkevious Mingo was a block on a kick return and not a sack on defense is an indication of both how his career has gone since being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft and the current state of the Patriots’ linebacker corps.
After bobbling the kickoff to start the third quarter, Danny Amendola was flying down the sideline. Mingo and Patrick Chung made big blocks on the back side of the return, freeing Amendola to run practically untouched to midfield.
When the next Bills defender tried to tackle Amendola, Mingo was there again. His block next to the midfield logo freed Amendola for another 25 yards, and two plays later, the Patriots scored a touchdown to give them a 21-point lead.
The technique required to succeed on that play might not appear related to playing linebacker, but the skills are transferable.
“Playing in space, making tackles in space, getting off and defeating blocks, that’s tied to all special teams,’’ said Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores. “That area, they’re one in the same.
“It definitely transfers over to defense. When you see guys make plays in the kicking game, you just say, ‘Hey, he could probably do that on defense also.’ It gives you that confidence.’’
Mingo, acquired from Cleveland in August in exchange for a 2017 fifth-round draft pick, recorded five sacks in his rookie year but then just two more in his next two seasons, including none in 2015.
In New England, Mingo has played in almost 80 percent of the special teams snaps, second to only Nate Ebner, but has been in on just 29 defensive plays this season. Nine of those snaps came last week, a season high for him.
With the trade of Collins, though, there’s a possibility that won’t be his season high for long.
“What can I do?’’ Mingo said. “The decision was made. We’re here just trying to get better. That’s why I have to get better cardio, get better at running down the field, and get better as an all-around player. That way, no matter where things go, you can be ready.’’
Mingo is not the only option for New England to employ at linebacker in the second half; Shea McClellin and Kyle Van Noy are both former first-round picks themselves. Don’t be surprised, though, to see another Patriot turn success on special teams into an increased role on defense.
“I think with all the guys we have in those similar positions, he’s kind of trying to work his way into the defense,’’ Flores said. “This is a situation where if he continues to work hard and continues to do a good job on the practice field, he’ll earn some playing time.
“But he has to earn it, no question, just like everybody else at this team.’’
He knows the territory
When the Patriots’ newest tight end arrived in Boston Tuesday night, he spent his drive around the city peering out the window. But Matt Lengel wasn’t trying to figure out where he was. He was looking at familiar sights.
Lengel, 25, signed off the Bengals practice squad to fill Collins’s roster spot, took an interesting path back to New England. He played the first semester of his college career at Northeastern, back when the Huskies were still fielding a football team.
“The city was great, and where Northeastern is is a great part of Boston,’’ Lengel said. “It was exciting, my parents loved it, they loved coming up to games and everything, and really fell in love with the area.’’
When the program was discontinued in 2009, Lengel transferred to Eastern Kentucky. He tore his right ACL in both 2012 and 2013, but went through a steep recovery to catch 16 passes for 139 yards as a senior before signing with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
This is the first stint on an active roster in the NFL for the 6-foot-7-inch Lengel, who isn’t concerned about the adjustment.
“I guess that’s something that adversity has taught me, is just that stuff is going to happen and you just have to roll with it,’’ he said. “I’d like for it to be a little easier and smoother, but you just kind of get used to it.
“I think it’s a good character builder. Helps you deal with it, and the more adversity you face and the more changes that happen, you learn to adapt a little quicker.’’ Honor for Brady
Peyton Manning is retired, but he’s still in competition with Tom Brady for hardware. On Thursday, Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. It’s the ninth time he has won the award, breaking a tie with Manning for most in NFL history. After missing the first four games of the season because of a suspension, Brady has gone undefeated in his four games as a starter, completing 98 of 134 pass attempts for 1,319 yards, 12 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Everett Cook can be reached at evcook4@gmail.com.
