Eagles have tough road ahead after mediocre first half

PHILADELPHIA >> Repeating as Super Bowl champions already was a tough task before the Philadelphia Eagles had a mediocre first half.

The offense was inconsistent, the defense couldn’t protect leads in the fourth quarter and injuries were a factor. So the Eagles entered their bye at 4-4 and were second behind Washington (5-2) in the NFC East.

They have a challenging schedule coming up and it’s unlikely they’ll win enough games to get a first-round bye if they can even catch the Redskins.

But help is on the way from the outside and from within.

Wide receiver Golden Tate was acquired from Detroit shortly before the NFL’s trade deadline, giving Carson Wentz a needed option. The Eagles are averaging only 22.2 points per game, down from 28.6 last year.

Running back Darren Sproles could be returning for the Eagles’ game against Dallas after being sidelined since injuring his hamstring in Week 1. Two more players from the group on injured reserve — receivers Mack Hollins and Mike Wallace and tight end Richard Rodgers — also will be eligible to come back.

“We definitely have the pieces and now is the time to get hot going into November with five more division games,” Tate said. “We just need to stay on track. I plan on going to the playoffs and playing a few more.”

Giving up a third-round pick for Tate, who is in the final season of his contract, was a risky move. It shows the organization believes the team is still a Super Bowl contender despite the so-so record.

“We have a lot of confidence in our players and in our coaching staff,” personnel boss Howie Roseman said. “Has everything gone exactly the way we thought this year? No. I don’t think any season does.

“But we think we have a really good football team and we are adding a really good player. We are going to keep our foot on the gas. We are not going to sit on our hands.”

Wentz was one of the positives in the first two months. He has been mostly excellent since missing the first two games while recovering from knee surgery that forced him to miss the playoffs. However, the offense had other issues.