The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>Adrian Peterson has been a game changer for the Redskins since they signed him. All Day has been instrumental in every one of the 5 wins the Redskins have this season. Peterson had a fumble early in the game that could have hurt Washington, but the Redskins defense has been stout against New York’s offense. Peterson sealed today’s divisional game against the Giants with a 64 yard touchdown run that gave the Redskins a two touchdown lead in the 4th quarter. Adrian Peterson makes up for his earlier fumble, killing the game with a 64-yard TD. The sweep play has been the #Redskins best run this season. Worked again here. pic.twitter.com/4k8mmhAKlX — Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 28, 2018<doc-sep>Alex Brandon/Associated Press The Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-17 at home Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Brett Maher missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt off the left upright for the Cowboys as time expired that would've sent the game into overtime. Alex Smith threw for 178 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-25 passing. Adrian Peterson went for 99 yards on the ground against a Cowboys defense that was allowing the seventh-fewest rushing yards (90.7 per game) in the NFL prior to Sunday's game. Dak Prescott finished with a season-high 273 yards and one touchdown through the air. Adrian Peterson Too Old to Single-Handedly Carry Washington's Offense Peterson has unquestionably exceeded expectations in 2018, and Sunday added to his impressive season. At times, the 33-year-old showed flashes of the running back who eclipsed 2,000 yards in 2012. Video Play Button Videos you might like Of course, Peterson is never going to be that player again. He's on the wrong side of the aging curve and second among active players in career carries (2,675). Three or four years ago, Washington would have been able to build its offense around Peterson. He dragged much worse supporting casts to the playoffs during his time with the Minnesota Vikings. That's no longer the case, and the Redskins' win was a good example why. Peterson has gone from a runner who could hit 150 to 200 yards in a given game to a back who generates excitement when he flirts with the century mark. Even with Peterson's big night, Washington gained 305 total yards. If the Cowboys had been able to move the ball at all in the third quarter and early into the fourth, then Dallas could've walked away with a win. After his career year with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, Smith is settling in this season as the game manager he has been over the bulk of his time in the NFL. He's not making a ton of mistakes and completing the majority of his passes. Smith's style can work in the right situation. It's less than ideal when Washington entered the game ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders, and counts on Peterson as the No. 1 option on the ground. Washington is as good as any team in the NFC East at the moment. Without making some tweaks to the offensive game plan, though, the team's reliance on Peterson will get exposed against the best teams outside of the division. Cowboys Stout Red-Zone Defense Is Masking Larger Issues According to Football Outsiders, the Cowboys defense ranked sixth in points per red-zone appearance (4.12) and red-zone touchdown scoring percentage (41.2). Once again, Dallas epitomized a team that bends but doesn't break. Washington moved the ball inside the 10-yard line twice Sunday and settled for six total points in the two trips. This defeat was a lot like Dallas' overtime loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5. The Cowboys offense couldn't find a groove, and the team remained in the game largely because the defense held the Texans to 16 points in five regulation red-zone possessions. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 34 yards, his fewest since the second week of the 2017 season. Nearly a third of Dallas' total yards (323) came on its final two drives, which accounted for 104 yards. Winning a game is next to impossible for the Cowboys with numbers like that. Maher likely wouldn't have been in a position to tie the game if Washington found the end zone on either of its 1st-and-goal scenarios in the second half. Dallas Must Make Deadline Trade to Reinvigorate Passing Game Michael Gallup helped tie the game at seven with his 49-yard touchdown reception with a minute left in the first half, and his first-half showing (three receptions for 81 yards and the score) raised eyebrows. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Gallup didn't register another catch over the remainder of the game. Something is broken in Dallas' passing game, and the coaching staff looks incapable of solving the issue. The Cowboys ranked 23rd and 26th in passing offense the past two seasons and sat 29th entering Sunday. If head coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan knew what to do, the offense wouldn't look the same in Week 7 as it did in Week 1. It may be a temporary solution to a long-term problem, but acquiring a proven receiver is better than doing nothing for the Cowboys. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Cowboys are "gathering as much information as they can about" Amari Cooper ahead of the Oct. 30 trade deadline. According to ESPN.com's Dan Graziano, Kelvin Benjamin and DeVante Parker are also on Dallas' radar. Although the Cowboys shouldn't get desperate and overpay to land one of those three, standing idly by and expecting something to change is just as bad. Dallas remains in the hunt for a playoff spot, so it needs to do everything it can to bolster the offense. What's Next? Washington stays in the division for Week 8 when it hits the road to take on the New York Giants on Sunday. The Cowboys have a bye in Week 8 before they host the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 5.<doc-sep>D.J. Swearinger is on fire: After forcing a fumble in last week’s win over the Cowboys, the emotional leader of the Redskins’ defense once again set the tone for Greg Manusky’s unit. Swearinger had two interceptions for the second time this season, giving him four through eight weeks and equaling his total from all of last year. Swearinger’s first interception came on a pass intended for Odell Beckham Jr. in the red zone early in the second quarter. His second pick, on an ill-advised throw by Eli Manning that floated into his arms in the third quarter, may have been the easiest of his career. Late in the fourth quarter, Swearinger broke up a pass intended for Saquon Barkley at the goal line that forced the Giants to settle for a field goal that cut Washington’s lead to 13-6.<doc-sep>
Adrian Peterson has still got it. Even at the ripe old age of 33 years old, Peterson is still producing. The former Vikings, Saints, and Cardinals running back has been enjoying a revitalized season after signing with Washington to simply add depth. In six games, the runner known as All Day has carried 101 times for 438 yards and three touchdowns. And now he has moved up in the record books against the Giants. Peterson entered Sunday with 12,714 career rushing yards, good for 10th all time. He only trailed Tony Dorsett (12,739) by 25 yards. Midway through the second quarter, Peterson rushed for four yards and set the Redskins up on the Giants 36-yard line. This scamper gave him 26 yards on the day and pushed his career total to 12,740 yards. The 33-year-old officially took over the ninth spot on the all-time rushing yards list. Originally drafted by the Vikings with the seventh-overall pick in 2007, Peterson immediately stepped in and became the lead back for Minnesota. During his rookie season alone, the eventual MVP broke the single-game rushing record with 296 yards, won rookie of the year, and topped 1,300 rushing yards. Oh, and he also won Pro Bowl MVP as a rookie. Peterson would go on to top 1,000 rushing yards seven times during his 10-year Vikings career, reaching 1,760 in 2008 and 2097 in 2012. He came within mere yards of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season record (2,105 yards) and helped lead Minnesota to the playoffs multiple times. Peterson also won league MVP in 2012. Unfortunately, Peterson's time in Minnesota was cut short due to both injuries and a year-long suspension in 2014. After missing 13 games in 2016 due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, Peterson signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent. A strange move considering that the Saints already had Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara on the roster, but Peterson still joined Sean Payton's team. Peterson only spent four games with the Saints, carrying 27 times for 81 yards before being shipped off to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional sixth-round pick. His time with the Cardinals, although short-lived, was more successful as he rushed 129 times for 448 yards in six games, scoring two touchdowns. Unfortunately for the former All-Pro, Peterson ended the season on Injured Reserve after sustaining a neck injury. At this point, his career appeared to be over, but the Redskins took a chance on him after Derrius Guice saw his season end due to injury. Since signing with the Redskins, Peterson has passed Jim Brown (12,313) on the career rushing yards list and now Dorsett. Peterson also passed Shaun Alexander (100) on the career rushing touchdowns list, and he is only two scores behind John Riggins. With nine games left in the Redskins season, Peterson will continue to move up the record books. The next player in reach is Eric Dickerson with 13,259 career yards.