On November 19, the Oakland Raiders were in Mexico and took on the New England Patriots. The Raiders got dominated by the reigning Super Bowl champions, 33-8. Even before the game began, the Raiders were already in the headlines as running back Marshawn Lynch continued his protest. Lynch sat down for the "Star-Spangled Banner," but he stood up when the national anthem of Mexico played.

The action of Marshawn Lynch drew the ire of United States President Donald Trump. In a tweet, Trump called it a "Great disrespect!" He added that Lynch must receive a suspension for the rest of the 2017 NFL season.

Trump claimed that the protest led to the decline in attendance and ratings. According to ESPN, Lynch was standing during the first few lines of the United States' national anthem.

Marshawn Lynch, who is playing in his first NFL season after coming out of retirement, has made it clear that he is not in favor of Donald Trump. The one-time Super Bowl winner has been protesting all-season long. ESPN mentioned as well in its report that in October, he sported a shirt that had an "Everybody vs. Trump" print on it.

Marshawn Lynch versus Pats

In the Oakland Raiders' loss to the New England Patriots, Marshawn Lynch failed to score a touchdown but still had a decent performance.

The 31-year-old led the Raiders in rushing with 11 carries for 67 yards. He also recorded one catch for 10 yards. Marshawn Lynch has now played nine games for the Raiders this season. In those appearances, the five-time Pro Bowler has registered a total of 97 carries for 390 yards and four touchdowns.

Beast mode

The Oakland Raiders need Marshawn Lynch to go into beast mode if they want to improve their chances of reaching the NFL Playoffs.

The Raiders currently hold a 4-6 record, tied with the Los Angeles Chargers for the second spot in the AFC West.

In the 2016 NFL season, without Marshawn Lynch, the Raiders ended a 13-year playoff drought. Franchise quarterback Derek Carr led the team. Unfortunately, he got hurt ahead of the playoffs, and because of this, the Raiders suffered an early exit.

Raiders' schedule

Up next for Marshawn Lynch and the Oakland Raiders is a two-game homestand at Oakland Coliseum. On November 26 (Week 12), they are set for a rematch with the Denver Broncos. Lynch and the Raiders fell to the Broncos in Week 4, 16-10. The homestand will end on December 3 with a matchup against the New York Giants, who are coming off of a morale-boosting victory.
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