Video: A.J. Hawk shoves guy into a pond

Posted by Mike Florio on July 1, 2012, 4:40 PM EDT

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Bill Griffin probably wishes Packers linebackers coach Winston Moss hadn’t recently called out A.J. Hawk.

On June 21, passive-aggressive remarks from Moss critical of Hawk splashed onto the Internet.  The next day, Hawk aggressively splashed Griffin into an otherwise passive pond during a golf tournament that devolved into a game of touch football.

The video, which we found via NBC Sports’ Off the Bench blog, shows Griffin catching a pass and Hawk giving him a two-handed shove into a nearby body of water.

“His year was just quiet,” Moss had said of Hawk.  “When he got in, there wasn’t a lot of tackle production and there weren’t interceptions so you look at his stat line and you say, ‘Well, what the hell did he do last year?’  A.J. is not a problem.  A.J. is not an issue.  A.J. didn’t play poorly last year.  He just didn’t make those impact plays.  I’m fine with what A.J. is doing.  But on the flipside of that, you want your guys being impactful and making plays.  He didn’t do it last year and I’m sure he’s not satisfied.  He’s going to respond accordingly.”

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Greg Cosell believes Ryan Matthews can be a "top five guy"

Posted by Evan Silva on July 1, 2012, 5:29 PM EDT

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The Chargers haven’t kept it a secret this offseason that they want third-year tailbackRyan Mathews to handle a significant 2012 workload. Coach Norv Turner believes Mathews is “ready to take that next step,” and has likened Mathews to Ricky Williams, who carried the football 383 times in 2002 and 392 times in 2003, when Turner was the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator.

I interviewed Greg Cosell of NFL Films late last week, and the game-tape guru is smitten with Mathews’ talent.

“I really like his skill set,” said Cosell. “Obviously, he came out and they traded up to take him with the 12th pick because they saw him, truly, as a foundation back. And that’s what Norv Turner likes to have — a foundation back. I think he’s got the skill set to be that.

“I think he’s quick. I think he’s got short-area burst. I think he’s got some speed. There’s nothing about the way he runs that I don’t like. … I think in terms of running skill set, if I’m to look at backs in the league, I think he could be a top-five guy.”

Cosell allowed that Mathews has some obstacles to overcome if he’s to fulfill his lofty potential. Cosell cited Mathews’ history of fumbling — an issue that once plaguedAdrian Peterson in Minnesota — as well as displaying the running “mindset” required of true NFL workhorses.

“One of the things about being one of those kinds of backs, where you truly are asked to carry 17, 18, 23, 24 times a game, depending on the game, there’s a mental element to that, as well as a physical element,” Cosell explained. “Because you have to have a mindset to be able to do that in the third and fourth quarter.

“A lot of guys have great skill, but when you’re asked to carry the ball over and over and over again against defenses that hit you … I mean, LaDainian Tomlinson just talked about this in an interview — about getting hit hard on every play. There’s a mindset that goes along with that. And I think we’ll have to see. This will be the year we see if Ryan Mathews truly has that mentality.”

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Aldon Smith suffered minor stab wounds breaking up fight

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 30, 2012, 8:44 PM EDT

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In the hours since the 49ers confirmed that their promising but troubled young linebacker Aldon Smith suffered minor injuries in an unspecified “incident,” a few more details have become public, with multiple reports saying he suffered minor stab wounds.

CSNBayArea.com reports that Smith was trying to break up a fight at around 2 a.m. when he was stabbed in the shoulder and abdomen with what is believed to be a small pocketknife. Officers responded to a 911 call at a large party at 2:14 a.m., and three people were taken to the hospital: Smith and two people who sustained gunshot wounds. None of the injuries were life threatening.

Breaking up a fight is better than starting a fight, but the 49ers will surely sit Smith down and tell him they’d prefer that he be home in bed at 2 in the morning, not at parties where gun and knife fights are breaking out. Smith, who was arrested in January for drunk driving, has reached the point where he’s not going to be given the benefit of the doubt.

The seventh overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, Smith is an extremely talented player who had 14 sacks as a rookie.

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