Marshawn Lynch's appeal of his one-game suspension failed, and he will miss the Raiders' Sunday date against the Buffalo Bills.
Lynch was suspended for making contact with an official during Oakland's 31-30 win over the Chiefs last Thursday. He was ejected from the game late in the first half after rushing for only nine yards. Lynch will assuredly be fined later this week, as well.
Lynch's case was heard by appeals officer James Thrash.
ESPN also reported that Lynch cited in his appeal other instances of players making contact with officials and not getting suspended, including Rams' defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Tennessee offensive lineman Taylor Lewan. Ultimately Lynch's appeal wasn't successful, so he won't play against the team he started his NFL career with.
The starting duties fall to second-year running back Jalen Richard, who has arguably performed better than Lynch this season. Richard has 158 yards on 35 carries (4.5 yards per carry) and one touchdown. Lynch has 266 yards on 72 carries (3.7 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. DeAndre Washington will also see more time on Sunday. He rushed for his first score of the year against Kansas City.
The Raiders have yet to announce who will fill Lynch's spot on the 53-man roster this week. A feasible choice would be rookie running back Elijah Hood, who has spent the season on the Raiders' practice squad.
