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Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff Writer
ATLANTA — The New Orleans Saints exited Sunday’s 24-15 loss to the Falcons with injuries to two of their starting receivers.
Chris Olave was ruled out of the game after he sustained a concussion in the third quarter. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed left with a quad injury in the second quarter and didn’t return. Shaheed was initially listed as questionable, then downgraded to doubtful in the second half.
“We ended up losing Shaheed, he got hurt earlier in the game and tried to battle through, we ended up taking him out and obviously Olave went out, he’s in the concussion protocol,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “When you’re playing without your top three wide receivers, it presents some challenges.”
Center Erik McCoy went to the medical tent and exited so that tight end Juwan Johnson could enter to be evaluated for a concussion. McCoy returned to the field eventually but Johnson had to go to the locker room for a longer evaluation before returning. Defensive end Cameron Jordan (shin) and running back Jamaal Williams were also injured in the game.
Olave, who had seven catches for 114 yards in the first half, went up in the air to try to make a catch on the Saints sideline. He stayed on the ground after coming down and was immediately attended to by athletic trainers, who took him to the medical tent to evaluate him for a concussion. Olave eventually went to the locker room and did not come back.
“Prayers up to the phenoms 22&12,” Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas posted on social media in the fourth quarter. Thomas was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a knee injury.
Shaheed dove for a catch late in the second quarter and came off the field limping. He slammed his helmet down in frustration as he reached the bench. Shaheed put a towel over his head and walked to the locker room with a teammate consoling him and did not return to the game.
He appeared to be struggling with an injury throughout the first half and went to the medical tent at one point, with Lynn Bowden temporarily replacing him in the lineup. Shaheed came back out of the tent, rode the exercise bike on the sideline and returned to the game. He did not appear on the Saints’ injury report this week prior to the game.
The Saints were already shorthanded on offense without Thomas, and Bowden appeared to be dealing with an injury as well. He went to the medical tent at one point in the first half but came back into the game. Cornerback Alontae Taylor also went into the tent and came back.
The Saints host the Detroit Lions next week at home.
