Melvin Ingram Proving To Be A Steal For KC

It is not often that we see many teams complete trades around the NFL trade deadline. To boot, most of the deals that are completed usually lead to little or no impact for a team looking to compete. That has not been the case whatsoever for the Kansas City Chiefs and Melvin Ingram. From his first snap in red and gold, to the latest division victory, Ingram has become a game changer and a steal for the Chiefs defense.

During Kansas City’s defensive resurgence, the team has hardly allowed any points (11.2 points allowed per game during the last five games), is creating more takeaways and is largely corralling the opposing rushing attack. More importantly, the Chiefs pass rush is getting home with more natural pressure out of its base defense. Ingram has been at the forefront during most of the pass rush contributions.

Along with that, other attributes and strengths have stood out from Melvin Ingram. We will touch on some of those today, and tell why that has altered the Chiefs defensive unit. Meanwhile, there are a few other items to monitor from Ingram throughout the Kansas City playoff push.

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Pass Rush Power

Seemingly every rep from Ingram involves a great sense of power and explosiveness. It starts when the ball is snapped, as the South Carolina product still possesses one of the most forceful get-offs. This was extremely evident in the Chiefs latest victory over the Denver Broncos. It may not have seemed like Ingram and the rest of the pass rush were getting to Teddy Bridgewater that consistently. Yet, Ingram was a major reason as to why Bridgewater had to get the ball out quickly and why the passer was off target on occasion as well.

On top of his blazing get off, Ingram plants a vicious punch into the opposing blocker’s chest. Kansas City has guys that are deceptive and patient with their hand usage. There is a different feeling when watching Ingram, however. In fact, he often provides more than one heavy blow before the blocker can begin to fight him off. Oftentimes, it is already too late. Ingram has moved from making contact and into getting in the deeper part of the backfield.

Finally, Ingram continues to bring the heat once making the hit. This is especially true on run defense and in the pass rush alike. Going back to the first meeting against the Las Vegas Raiders, Ingram fought through a block with one arm and delivered a wicked forearm shiver to make a run stop behind the line of scrimmage against Kenyan Drake. The veteran also does a solid job of displanting the quarterback suddenly when making a hit on the passer.

Tough Mentality

Late in the season and during this current playoff push, the Chiefs will have to lean more on the trenches and emphasize winning those physically demanding one on one matchups on the inside. This is where the savvy veteran presence and tougher mentality stands out from Melvin Ingram. After all, Ingram came to Kansas City with a “Kobe mindset”, which honored the late, great Kobe Bryant. Essentially, he is looking to provide more of a “never quit, keep grinding” mentality at this point in his career.

This shows up both from a physical and mental standpoint on the Chiefs defense. Physically, he is doing what many top defensive ends are asked to do. Ingram is not always filling up the stat sheet with sacks per se. But, he has been pushing for offenses to work faster. Whether it be with how a quarterback drops back to pass, how much depth the opposing receivers have to work to, or the amount of runs teams attempt in between the tackles, Ingram is wreaking havoc. The opponent’s timing gets thrown off, while more hesitancy begins to creep in from the offense.

Mentally speaking, Ingram has been in playoff pushes and critical matchups before. This allows Kansas City to lean on him a bit differently than they have with other top performers on the defensive line. At times, Chris Jones needs a quick breather, or Frank Clark needs time to get his motor cranked. Ingram does not just have the ability to push through in crucial moments. Rather, the pass rusher can already wear many different hats late in games for this Chiefs defense.

Setting The Edge

The play of Melvin Ingram in run defense has arguably been the most surprising part of his addition to the Chiefs so far. He was not completely incapable of handling that role in the defense. Though, it has not necessarily been an area of Ingram’s game that has been focused on over the course of his lengthy career.

That aforementioned power and explosiveness helps to limit the angles that opposing running backs can use to exploit the defense. Moreover, Ingram has the heavy hands and length that Steve Spagnuolo covets on his defensive line. The heavy hands have always been a key part of his attack. Yet, the length is something that has not been totally unlocked completely or consistently during his previous years.

Lastly, Ingram has the ability to crash down and collapse the edge of the line of scrimmage. Kansas City has not had someone that could do that at defensive end against the run. As a result, the backfield becomes more crowded. The opposing running backs are then forced to make a quick decision. Ingram then has an opportunity to finish with his explosiveness and short area quickness.

Impact On Chiefs Defense

It is safe to say that Melvin Ingram has already altered the Chiefs defense like the team had hoped. It is just a shame the player-team fit could not come to fruition in the offseason, like we almost saw in free agency. Better late than never, as they say. To think they got him for just a sixth round pick in the trade acquisition with the Pittsburgh Steelers is laughable. Furthermore, Ingram has a chance to make a difference in an upcoming game against the Steelers in Kansas City, which could involve heavy playoff implications.

The defensive line and pass rush has begun to feel themselves since this acquisition for many reasons. First off, it has allowed more one on one reps for Jones and Clark. Lessening their chances to see double teams also allows Spagnuolo to dive deeper into his vast bag of tricks with blitzes.

On top of that, the Chiefs defense has collectively begun to play more patiently and keep plays in front of them. The addition of Ingram has helped to bring more communication and cohesion to all three levels, now that the unit feels more secure.

Kansas City is also getting into more advantageous positions as a defense. It is one thing to make stops behind the line of scrimmage once in a while. But, Ingram has helped to put the opponent into more desirable downs and distances of great length on vital downs.

Expanding Role?

There are a few things that Spagnuolo has sprinkled into the defense during this current win streak. One of those is that defensive ends are beginning to cover the flats in pass coverage. The question is, when will Spagnuolo ask them to do this? We see it very subtly. However, the timing is once again thrown off for the opponent during these timely adjustments.

Melvin Ingram has also been moved around the line of scrimmage once in a while as well. You will see him rush the passer from a stand up position lined up over the guard or tackle. This shows off his true inside-outside versatility. On the other hand, it brings about more confusion for the opposing blocking unit when a smart pass rusher like Ingram shows them something different from the norm. Possibly, there could be even more roles that Ingram will fill during this late season push.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.