NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints starting receiver Chris Olave was taken off the field to the locker room to be evaluated for a possible concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit when he lost a fumble that was called returned for a touchdown at Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Olave was in the process of being stripped from behind by Buccaneers defenseman Tykee Smith moments after receiving a pass from Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler when the receiver absorbed a heavy blow to the head from cornerback Zyon McCollum.

Olave apparently sat dazed on the field as Bucs safety Antoine Winfield picked up the loose ball and ran back 58 yards for a score that gave Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

No flag was thrown on the piece, which was assessed per line because it concerned turnover. Referee Clete Blakeman reviewed the video which clearly showed the helmet-to-helmet hit, but his assessment was limited to whether Olave completed the catch before being stripped.

Blakemen then made his decision that the fumble – and the resulting Bucs score – would stand in front of a Superdome crowd that had also watched replays and booed in apparent anger over the missed personal foul that the No. 1 receiver Saints placed in concussion protocol and out of the game.

Olave, a 2022 first-round draft pick out of Ohio State, entered the game with 22 catches for 275 yards and a touchdown through the first five weeks of the season.

Olave had previously been involved in the NFL’s concussion protocol twice in the past three NFL seasons.

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AP N.F.L.: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL