DeVonta Smith’s return to his home state of Louisiana ended with a 15-12 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles receiver was unable to witness the thrilling finale as he was in the locker room being evaluated for a concussion after being hit by rookie Khristian Boyd.

Boyd got a run-up and rammed Smith in the back after it looked like his advance had been stopped and he was pushed back after a five-yard pass with 13:45 left in the fourth quarter with the Eagles trailing 3-0.

“That’s the dirtiest thing I’ve ever seen in football, buddy,” said Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. “You obviously saw the advance was stopped. And for them to attack one of our key players so unfairly shows what kind of team this is. They’re top-ranked.”

Saquon Barkley said the blow that knocked Smith’s helmet off his head inspired the team. On the next play, he ran 65 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 7-3 lead.

“We saw our teammate go down on a late hit; I think it was a late hit,” said the Eagles running back, who rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. “After that, we pulled ourselves together. We wanted to go out there and fight for Smitty.”

Right tackle Fred Johnson, who had stepped in for Lane Johnson (concussion) at the beginning of the game, was one of the first on the scene.

“I didn’t see anything,” he said. “I saw him catch the ball and I tried to run for the ball. And I saw him unconscious and I was waving to the training staff like he was unconscious. It was scary.”

“You never want to see that, especially on a play where he catches the ball and runs backwards, like, five steps. It’s up to the referees to call that play off and take the necessary action if he gets hit late.

“Given DeVonta’s size and a lineman hitting him five steps after he caught the ball, that’s unprofessional. They’ll look at that and realize they have to take the necessary action.” Tight end’s career day puts Eagles over Saints – “For Smitty”

Smith, who grew up in Amite City, about an hour northwest of New Orleans, finished his day with seven catches for 79 yards.

“DeVonta Smith is a warrior,” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “He’s tough. He puts his body on the line. These guys put their bodies on the line game after game. He’s a guy that does that all the time. I hope he’s OK.”

“He got up on his own and we’ll see. I’ll get some information and then we’ll see. He’s a fighter and he’s tough.”

More NFL: Tight end’s career day helps Eagles win over Saints – “For Smitty”