BEREA, Ohio -- It was bad enough when Barkevious Mingo couldn't catch his breath early on in Thursday's 24-6 victory over the Lions. But when he began spitting up blood on the sidelines, he knew something had to be wrong.

"During the game and after the game (I was spitting up blood),'' Mingo said after watching practice Saturday from the sidelines. "I was a little bit, but not a lot.''

By early in the second quarter, Mingo left the game and was taken to the Cleveland Clinic Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a bruised lung. He was set to be released Friday morning, but they kept him an extra night for observation. By lunchtime Saturday, he was back at the Browns facility and wishing he could suit up for practice.

"I'm feeling really good,'' he said. "I'd rather be out there, but I've got to listen to the doctors and take it slow and easy. I was like this when I was in the hospital that night and I told them I was fine. But they've got the got the scans and they made the right call.

Had Mingo remained on the field during the game and taken another blow to the chest, he could've died, according to Dr. Clark Fuller, Director of Thoracic Surgery at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Ca., who hasn't treated Mingo. He said Mingo had already torn at least some small blood vessels, "and if you tear some larger ones, the chest cavity is an area where you could bleed to death and nobody ever sees a drop of blood on the ground.''

Mingo doesn't recall a sharp blow, but felt short of breath after covering the opening kickoff of the game. He stayed in for about four or five more plays -- all on special teams -- but found it increasingly difficult to breathe.

"I ran down after the play, and I didn’t feel right,'' he said. "I kept going back out, and it was harder and harder to catch my breath. I went to my coach and he thought it’d be a good idea to go to the trainer with it. They did a great job pulling me out, and recognizing the symptoms and treating me.''

Mingo, who will be out at least a week or two and will likely miss the final two preseason games, said the ordeal never scared him despite the fact it's sometimes fatal. The estimated mortality rate is about 14% to 40%.

"If I didn’t have the shortness of breath I think I would've still been out there,'' he said. "Nothing else was that bad that made me think I needed to get out.''

Despite the fact that bruised lungs are relatively rare in football, Chargers receiver Eddie Royal suffered one Saturday morning in practice when he landed on his back after making a catch. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and is also being tested for a concussion.

"Oh wow, man,'' Mingo said when informed about Royal. "I hope (it's not contagious). I hope there’s not anymore.''

Mingo, who spent time on the sidelines Saturday chatting with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and coach Rob Chudzinski, admitted he was shocked when doctors delivered the news.

"At that point I was still feeling fine, so it kind of baffled me,'' he said. "But at the same time I trust their decisions and their diagnosis."

Fuller explained that a patient can be asymptomatic with a bruised lung, but that it's still a serious condition. They're often also accompanied by a broken ribs, but that's not the case with Mingo.

"The ribs are perfect,'' he said. "No pain, no bruising. I’m not sore. It kind of took the doctors by surprise too. I’m perfectly fine. I was trying to get out early yesterday. They wouldn’t let me, but they’re just being very cautious. They don’t want anything to happen the day after.''

Mingo also said he didn't take a hard hit against the Rams the week before and doubted the bruise lingered from that game.

He admitted it's frustrating having to sit out. He stood on the sidelines with a towel around his neck Saturday, looking like he wanted to jump into practice. During blocking drills, he took tips from left tackle Joe Thomas.

"I learn better when I do stuff, so now I’m missing out on valuable reps that could help me down the season,'' he said. "But whenever the doctors and the coaches clear me to get back on the field, that’s when I’ll be back.''

There's nothing Mingo can do to speed the healing process except rest.

"They just said take it easy for a couple of days and we’ll get you back as soon as possible,'' he said.

He said at the Clinic, "they gave me a bed, gave me a TV and said 'watch this, don’t move, you’ll be ok.'''

His brothers were already in town to attend the game, so they visited him at the Clinic. His mom was worried at first, but felt better when she learned the ribs weren't broken.

Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton was also relieved that it wasn't more serious.

"We’re just happy it’s not a career- or season-ending injury,'' he said. "But they're all serious when they miss playing time.''

Horton acknowledged that it will hurt if Mingo has to miss the third and possibly fourth preseason games, Aug. 24 in Indianapolis and Aug. 29th in Chicago.

"For a young guy, he needs every rep he can get,'' said Horton. "He's on page, he's very smart, so for us it's just reps. It's just seeing a different look, it's seeing (Colts quarterback) Andrew Luck, it's seeing different fronts and how they want to block him. So it will retard a little bit, but he's pretty gifted in what he does, and he picks things up fast so how much, I can't give you a quantitative answer, but it'll hurt him a little bit.''

Horton also defended the use of star players on special teams.

"You put your best 11 players on the field at any one time to give you the best opportunity to win,'' he said. "It doesn’t matter if it’s your quarterback holding for extra points or your running back or wide receiver; you’re trying to win and evaluate people and the sad part of this business is people will get hurt because it’s a physical game and that’s part of the process and part of the depth and he’ll be back. It’s just like if he had a stinger or something else, the philosophy is do what you do to win the game and that’s the most important thing.”

Horton didn't recall ever hearing about a bruised lung during his 30-some years as a coach and player in the NFL, but coach Rob Chudzinski had firsthand experience with it when he was offensive coordinator of the Panthers last season. In the second-last game, Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a cracked rib and bruised lung when he was hit by a linebacker. Palmer was hospitalized overnight and sat out the final game of the season.

Horton admitted that losing Mingo, the No. 6 overall pick, for any length of time is a blow, but he's got quality starters in Paul Kruger and Jabaal Sheard ahead of him.