Winners, losers from the preseason finale for the Eagles

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.