The Philadelphia Eagles concluded their preseason Thursday night with a 27-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Eagles finished their preseason slate with a record of 0-2-1 ahead of their regular-season opener Sept. 10 at the New England Patriots.
For several players on the roster, Thursday's game was their Super Bowl. It was their chance to show that they belong higher on the depth chart or prove that they just belong on the roster. Here's how some of them fared in those attempts.
Winner: Marcus Mariota
The first-year Eagle figured to be a shoo-in as Jalen Hurts' backup, but his first two preseason starts suggested otherwise. Mariota's subpar play had some in the media suggesting that the Eagles should find a new backup quarterback, with Matt Ryan and Nick Foles getting name-dropped. Mariota saw limited time in Thursday's game, but his case was aided by the performance — or lack thereof — of his competition.
Loser: Tanner McKee
The team's sixth-round draft choice from Stanford looked sharp compared to Mariota in the first two exhibition games, but in his final pitch to become backup QB, McKee fell flat. He completed 19 of 34 passes for 158 yards and no touchdowns. If anything, McKee was outplayed by fourth-stringer Ian Book, who went 11-for-15. The rookie gave it a good effort in the preseason, but it seems apparent that Mariota is the better option as Hurts' backup.
Winner: Devon Allen
The undrafted second-year receiver from Oregon started Thursday's game with a bang. After bobbling the opening kickoff at the 1-yard line and breaking a tackle at the 13, Allen raced 73 yards to the Colts' 27, setting up an eventual touchdown on the Eagles' first drive. Allen is competing with Boston Scott and Britain Covey as the primary kick returner and did more than enough to help his case.
#Eagles WR Devon Allen has a case for the fastest WR in the league.
— ʟᴇᴇᴍ (@RunHurts) August 25, 2023
pic.twitter.com/8KphXqyc5k
Loser: Joseph Ngata
The undrafted rookie receiver from Clemson was unlikely to break into an already crowded receiving corps, but he hurt his chances further by catching only two of the six passes thrown to him. One of those catches resulted in a lost fumble that ended a productive Eagles drive late in the second quarter.
Winner: Tyreek Maddox-Williams
The second-year undrafted linebacker from Rutgers was signed by the Eagles just five days before Thursday's game and made an immediate impact. Indianapolis was on a 10-play drive to start the fourth quarter, which Maddox-Williams ended by intercepting QB Sam Ehlinger and hustling for 42 yards on the return. Maddox-Williams is a Philadelphia area native, attending Timber Creek High School in New Jersey. The Eagles are thin in the linebacking department, and the local product could be worth a look.
Former Rutgers linebacker Tyreek Maddox-Williams intercepted a pass for the Eagles against the Colts in their final preseason game last night: pic.twitter.com/fs5h3XKRfV
— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) August 25, 2023
Loser: Free-agent kickers
Not that there was any competition on the Eagles staff, but veteran kicker Jake Elliott proved his reliance and durability on Thursday by booting two field goals of 50-plus yards. One of those kicks was from 59 yards out, the second-longest field goal of the preseason thus far. For the placekickers who are still out there, Philadelphia can be crossed off their destination list.
Jake Elliott from DOWNTOWN
— Kicker Update (@kickerupdate) August 25, 2023
He nails this 59-yd field goal to put the #Eagles ahead! pic.twitter.com/s0IhLZbdCG
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