Texans Coach O'Brien Said He Didn't See Stadium Video Of Savage

HOUSTON, TX — Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien rehashed Monday he didn't see the hit that quarterback Tom Savage sustained in Sunday's loss that left Savage involuntarily shaking on the field. O'Brien did say Monday that if he'd seen the video since he couldn't see his quarterback in distress from the sideline, that he "would have never let [him] back in the game."

Savage took a hard, direct hit from San Francisco 49ers defensive end Elvis Dumervil in the Texans' loss on Sunday. As Savage was lying on the ground, his hands began shaking. After being evaluated for a concussion, Savage was allowed back in the game for another series.

O'Brien said after the initial check, he he thought Savage needed to be evaluated again.

"It wasn't anything that I particularly saw on the field, I just said, look, that was a quick check," O'Brien said Monday morning. "It was a three-and-out on that series. Let's continue to check him to make sure that the player, Tom Savage, is OK. They went, they checked him, they came to me, they were not satisfied with his answers to the questions that they were asking him, and they pulled him from the game."

Tom Savage hits head on ground, appears to have seizure while ref looks on, comes back in the game 5 minutes later. pic.twitter.com/gW9lYxDIwQ

According to an ESPN report on Monday morning, George Atallah, the assistant executive director of external affairs at the NFLPA, tweeted, "we are initiating a full review of the Tom Savage concussion from yesterday's game."

We are initiating a full review of the Tom Savage concussion from yesterday's game.

O'Brien on Monday said his foremost concern is the safety of his players.

"At no point in time in my coaching career [has] there anything more important to me than the safety of our players," O'Brien said. "I love our players, and I care about them. And I cannot stand when players get injured.

"Anybody that's been on the sideline of a football game knows that from a coaching standpoint, you really can't see things like that, especially when the ball is in certain areas of the field."

The Texans fell to 4-9 on the season with the loss. With rookie starting quarterback Deshaun Watson out for the year with a torn ACL, Savage was thrust into the starting role. When he left the game, former Texans quarterback T.J. Yates entered the game and tossed a pair of touchdowns in the 26-16 loss.

Houston plays at AFC South-leading Jacksonville this Sunday, and then play on Monday Night Football on Christmas against the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. The Texans end the season on New Year's Eve at the Indianapolis Colts.

Image: Tom Savage (3) of the Houston Texans is hit by Elvis Dumervil (58) of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)