The Shanaplan: Where were Armstead and Ford?

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a saying about giving out contracts: it’s okay to pay a premium, as long as you get a premium in return. In other words, if you’re going to give guys big new contracts, they’ve got to perform up to that level every week.

In the newest episode of The Shanaplan, Kyle Posey and Akash Anavarathan put the blame for Sunday’s loss squarely on the shoulders of guys that John Lynch has rewarded with new contracts in the last two years: Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Armstead and Ford combined for 4 total tackles on Sunday. Dee Ford’s biggest accomplishment in the game was that he played almost half the snaps without getting injured.

“I think Kerry Hyder and Kevin Givens almost had more of an impact on that game,” Askash points out in this week’s episode, “I heard their names called out more than Arik Armstead and Dee Ford.”

Plus, Akash and Kyle found one potential reason for the secondary’s inability to stop DeAndre Hopkins all game long, and it could be something that haunts the 49ers this entire season.

Listen to this week’s episode and more on this page or (better yet) by subscribing to the Niners Nation Podcast Network. You’ll get The Shanaplan and all the great podcasts we produce each day. Please drop us a rating and a review while you’re there.