6 winners (and four losers) from the Eagles preseason finale vs Vikings

The Philadelphia Eagles eked out victories thanks to some dramatic finished versus both the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots. The preseason finale came on Saturday. Could they notch their first perfect preseason finish since 2016?

No... No they could not...

That's okay though. The goal all summer has been to get these guys to the regular season and keep most of them healthy. Preseason games still matter though, even if people think they don't, and there was a lot to talk about after this one.

The score was ugly, 26-3 in the Vikings' favor, but no one will remember that a few weeks from now. Most of our discussions following this one well be about final roster cuts. The process of trimming the squad to 53 men must be finished by Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm EST.

Let's talk about some obvious winners and losers.

Dud: Kenny Pickett

It seems like we say this every week. Kenny Pickett is horrible. He thinks he can play and he's doing a good job, but he's barely worthy of a roster spot on a professional football franchise.

Only two of his eight pass attempts in the first half went beyond the sticks. He completed one, his first throw of the game. That was a wide-open, 19-yard throw to Parris Campbell. He finished with six completions on nine pass attempts, 58 yards through the air, and four rushing yards on one attempt.

With three preseason games in the books, we can't think of anything he did that we would call impressive. He led one TD drive (against the Ravens), and we hope we won't see him this season.

Dud: WR Joseph Ngata

Following a good-looking preseason game versus the Patriots, Joseph Ngata had some momentum heading into the finale. All he needed was another strong showing to continue his build. Unfortunately, he did himself no favors versus the Vikings.

On a day where he needed to be at his best, he was at his worst a la the 2023 preseason. His biggest highlight was one he was on the wrong side of. Some 'toaster hands' popped the ball into the air, and Jay Ward came down with the interception.

Dud: RB Tyrion Davis-Price

For most of camp and the preseason, Tyrion Davis-Price has proven himself to be the third-best running back on Philly's roster after Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, and Will Shipley. He probably still is, but he set himself back a bit.

During his first five carries, he seemed headed for the 'stud' portion of our list, averaging six yards per carry, but he fumbled on his sixth carry. The Vikings recovered. You can't make those mistakes when trying to make the roster. That will convince a coaching staff to carry three tailbacks on the 53-man roster rather than four.

Dud: DB Cooper DeJean

We'll do what others won't and be tough on the rookie here. We're encouraged. He'll be fine, but you can't have an illegal contact penalty to negate a teammate's interception. DeJean got off to a rough start, but the day turned out to be an average one. We'll take that from a rookie that hasn't played football since last November.

We saw some tough spots. He had a tough time keeping up with Lucky Jackson (twice) and was bailed out by the sideline, but by the end of his day (he played 43 defensive snaps in total), he enjoyed a TFL and looked more comfortable as the game wore on.

Stud: DT Moro Ojomo

When a team scores three points, you start looking at everyone for entertainment. Here's what we noticed. Moro Ojomo hasn't done much in terms of denting the stat sheet.

He enjoyed one stop in this one, zero tackles versus the Patriots, and one tackle versus the Ravens. He's supremely athletic though. He has some bend, and we have seen him push the pocket.

He may not enjoy a ton of playing time with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, and Marlon Tuipulotu on the roster, but he's doing everything he is supposed to do. If he continues on this path, he'll be fine. Don't worry about the stats. They will come in time.

Stud: EDGE Julian Okwara

Julian Okwara needed a big day. Good for him. He came up with one. The question now is it a 'too-little, too-late scenario?

A nicely-timed bull rush a little later disrupted a Jaren Hall pass attempt in the red zone that would have been a touchdown. That came after a previous sack. There was a lot to love about his effort in this one.

Unfortunately, the Vikes scored on the next play of the drive following that bull rush anyway. That isn't Okwara's fault. He did himself many favors, posting two tackles, including one for a loss. He also notched a sack and three additional hits on the QB.

Stud: LB Oren Burks

Oren Burks needed to play well and did. On one occasion, we saw him shut down a screen pass. On another, he came up with a nice sack. He's here because he is an established veteran that proved to be a great special teams player with the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.

If Philly keeps five inside linebackers, he may be in the mix. That decision, in all likelihood, will come down to a decision between keeping him or Ben VanSumeren. This was a good showing for Burks though. He notched seven tackles. That includes five solo stops and seven total. He also registered a sack and a tackle for loss.

Stud: LB Ben VanSumeren

Ben VanSumeren matched Oren Burks' good day with one of his own. He tallied six tackles incuding five of the solo variety.

He also notched a sack and a TFL. He was also egregiously held on a screen pass he had correctly diagnosed. He would have made the stop. It's interesting that, on a day where the refs through the flag constantly, they missed making the call on an obvious one.

Stud: Tristin McCollum

If you knew nothing about Tristin McCollum and James Bradberry and watched every preseason game, you'd walk away saying McCollum is a much better player. That's a guarantee.

James didn't dress for this one (we don't know why), but Tristin made the most of the opportunity. He led the team in tackles. Nine total stops... Five were solo. He also displayed some very impressive and witty play which isn't uncommon for him.

Stud: Safety Andre Sam

We saw much of what we were told Andre Sam excelled at doing. He came downhill to make tackles and finished tied for third place among the Eagles' leaders in that category.

He tallied four solo stops on Saturday. He ended his day with six in total. We'll have to rewatch the tape, but we don't remember much he did that made us feel like he was lost or uncomfortable.