As the New Orleans Saints were mounting their comeback against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Chris Olave was missing in action.

The Saints’ top receiver had been targeted just twice in the first three quarters, catching one of them for 7 yards. New Orleans was pushing the ball into scoring range, and CBS commentator Robert Griffin III began speaking about Olave’s lack of opportunity in the game as New Orleans lined up for a second and 10 from the Panthers’ 32-yard line.

Right on time, Olave accelerated downfield and snapped off his route toward the sideline. Quarterback Tyler Shough threw the ball his way, with the pass sailing just high enough for Olave to leave his feet. It looked like they’d finally connected for a big play — until cornerback Mike Jackson arrived and jarred the ball free with a hard hit.

The play seemed to sum up Olave’s season, in which the many big plays he’s made often have been overshadowed by plays he did not make. That drive stalled out when Shough was stopped for no gain on a fourth-down scramble two plays later, further magnifying Olave’s drop.

What ended up being important is what happened next.

“I told him I’d come right back to him,” Shough said.

Olave came to life in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. On the drive after his drop, with the Saints needing a touchdown to tie the game, Shough threw the ball his way on three consecutive plays, gaining 17, 18 and 16 yards. To cap it off, Olave beat inside leverage from premier cover cornerback JayCee Horn with a slant route to tie the game with a 12-yard touchdown on third and 6.

“We just had to make a play at the end of the day,” Olave said. “(Horn had) inside leverage, but (Shough) still threw the ball and he trusted me to win. He threw a great ball, a great placement. We made the play.”

Shough said he had “full confidence” Olave would make the play.

“That’s my guy — that’s our guy,” Shough said. “He’s going to win one-on-one no matter what, if I give him a chance — and I’ve got to continue to give him more chances. He made a huge play, a great route and a great catch. We got the look that we wanted on that, and it was just an unbelievable, unbelievable job.”

Olave has proven he can stay healthy this year, which was the big question coming into 2025 after his 2024 season was cut short by multiple concussions. But while he’s stayed on the field, his play has been defined by peaks and valleys.

He needs six more catches to eclipse his career high and just 104 yards in the final three weeks to record his third 1,000-yard season of his career. He is without question the top playmaker for the Saints.

But Olave also has had his share of drops this year. By Pro Football Reference’s charting, he’s dropped five passes. By Olave’s personal standards, that number is higher.

Which makes Shough coming right back to Olave after the drop so important. It is an example of what coach Kellen Moore calls “getting back to neutral.”

“There’s good plays, there’s bad plays, now you’ve gotta get back to neutral; you’ve got to reset yourself each play,” Moore said. “It didn’t work out on second down, and then he responds a few plays later and gives him an opportunity as the next drive progresses.”

Olave had one catch on three targets through the first 55 minutes of game time. When the Saints needed him late, he delivered five big receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown to help propel the winning effort. Afterward, the drop was an afterthought.

The start of the game was tough, Olave said, but he made a conscious effort not to let his emotions get in the way of his performance. The goal was to attack every play as if the ball was designed to come his way.

Eventually, it did. And Olave delivered.

“Somebody had to make a play,” Olave said. “I’m glad he kept coming to me.”