O'Brien Says Savage Wouldn't Have Returned If He Saw Video
By KRISTIE RIEKEN, AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) — Texans coach Bill O'Brien says he wouldn't have let Tom Savage re-enter Sunday's game after an alarming hit that gave him a concussion and left the quarterback's hands shaking if he had seen the video of the hit.
Savage was injured with about nine minutes remaining in the second quarter of Houston's 26-16 loss to San Francisco when he was driven to the ground on a hit by Elvis Dumervil.
Replays showed Savage looking dazed after his head hit the ground with both of his arms shaking and lifted upward.
He was taken to the medical tent where he stayed for less than three minutes before returning to the bench and going back in for the next series.
Savage threw two incompletions on that drive, and Houston's team doctor approached him after he returned to the sideline at the end of that possession.
He was then evaluated again and taken to the locker room after it was determined that he did have a concussion.
On Monday O'Brien said: "There's no video on the sideline. All there are are tablets. There's no video, there's nothing like that. With benefit of seeing the video ... (and) the care for the player, I would've never let that player back in the game, and I don't believe that (trainer) Geoff Kaplan would've allowed that player back in the game. I don't have benefit of the video. I did not see anything."
Also on Monday an NFL spokesman said the league is looking into whether concussion protocol was properly followed after Savage was injured.
League spokesman Joe Lockhart said the NFL and the players' association "together will conduct a thorough review of the incident focused on whether the protocol was properly followed, but we're also continuing looking at the protocol to look for ways to improve and strengthen it."
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AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report.
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