Denver's Joe Mays loses appeal, will sit out game on Sunday Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays will sit out a game for the hit that cost Texans quarterback Matt Schaub a piece of his ear. Mays had his appeal rejected by the NFL on Thursday, meaning the $50,000 fine and one-game suspension he received earlier this week stands. He'll miss the game against Oakland and won't be allowed back to Denver's facility until Monday. Schaub's helmet flew off after the hit by Mays and the quarterback grabbed his head with both hands. He had blood dripping from his ear and missed one play. After the game, he said he lost a chunk of his ear but was otherwise OK. Lynch, Strahan, McNair among Hall of Fame nominees John Lynch, Michael Strahan, Steve McNair and Morten Andersen are among 13 first-year eligible players for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Safety Lynch, defensive end Strahan, quarterback McNair and kicker Andersen join offensive linemen Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen, defensive tackle Warren Sapp and 121 other total nominees for induction. The list will be whittled to 25 semifinalists in late November. Fifteen finalists from the modern era will be announced in early January, with elections taking place Feb. 2, the day before the Super Bowl. Between four and seven members will be selected, with inductions next August. Other first-time nominees are running back Priest Holmes, wide receiver Keenan McCardell, center Tom Nalen, defensive tackles Sam Adams and Ted Washington and defensive end Bryant Young. Among the contributors nominated are former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and longtime team owners Bud Adams of the Titans and Robert Kraft of the Patriots. Former Browns and Ravens owner Art Modell, who died this month, also is a nominee. Field-goal accuracy: It's up and it's good The 3-week-old NFL season has been marked by a big spike in field-goal accuracy. NFL teams combined for a record 2,287 points in the first three weeks of the season thanks to a record 248 touchdowns. Kickers have done their part in the proliferation of points, converting 182 field-goal attempts and missing just 15 for a 92.4% clip - the best three-week start ever. The three-week mark tends to be a precursor for the entire season, with the final accuracy rate dipping two or three percentage points as the weather gets worse and the pressure rises. That means the record set in 2008 of 84.5% could be obliterated this season. Brandon Marshall apologizes for spat with Warren Sapp Brandon Marshall wishes he would have just stayed quiet. So he'll chalk up this spat with Warren Sapp as a learning experience. The Chicago Bears receiver apologized for retaliating with some harsh comments after Sapp, a former player, now an NFL Network analyst, called him a "retard" - even though he wasn't backing off what he said. Marshall has acknowledged receiving treatment for borderline personality disorder and anger management, and after Sapp called him a "retard" in a radio interview, he didn't hold back. Bears running back Matt Forte was a limited participant in practice Thursday after missing a game because of a sprained right ankle. He practiced Wednesday for the first time since he was injured against Green Bay and said afterward he expects to be ready for the Dallas game, although Coach Lovie Smith to stopped short of saying he will play. ... Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson is expected to play against New England on Sunday, barring any last-minute setback to his sprained right knee. ... Ahmad Bradshaw is ready to return as the New York Giants' top running back after being sidelined for a game by an inflamed disk in his neck. ... St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson did not practice for the second straight day while nursing a nagging groin injury. ... The New England Patriots released tight end Kellen Winslow after just one game. The veteran of eight full seasons was cut after catching one pass for 12 yards in a 31-30 loss Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens. ... Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams remained unable to practice because of a bone bruise in his right knee. He was hurt Sunday in the team's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. .... Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Laurent Robinson missed a second consecutive day of practice while recovering from a concussion.