Automatic First Downs

This page shows all penalties that resulted in an automatic first down based on the type of penalty. There are many additional penalties that based on the penalty yardage and distance remaining resulted in a first down.

"3rd & Long" is 3rd down and 6 or more yards. "Desperation" is 3rd and 10 or more or 4th and 6 or more. "Yardage Mitigated" is the total yardage the team had left to get a first down when the flag was thrown granting a gratis first down. Remember: There are more first down plays than 2nd down plays, more 2nd down plays than 3rd, and so on.

Beneficiary means the team benefitted from the penalty. Declined and Offsetting penalties are not shown in this table. Penalties occurring on special teams are not included.

The table below contains the following penalties: Defensive Holding (226), Defensive Pass Interference (215), Illegal Contact (106), Illegal Use of Hands (104), Roughing the Passer (99), Face Mask (15 Yards) (59), Personal Foul (31), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (20), Taunting (15), Horse Collar Tackle (14), and Tripping (5)

Scroll left and right for additional columns.

Team	Games	Total	1st Down	2nd Down	3rd Down	4th Down	3rd & Long	Desperation	Yardage Mitigated	Penalty Yards
Seattle	19	1.579	0.421	0.579	0.579	0.000	0.316	0.158	12.526	16.842
New Orleans	16	1.563	0.500	0.313	0.688	0.063	0.500	0.250	13.250	15.875
Atlanta	16	1.438	0.563	0.438	0.313	0.063	0.188	0.063	12.813	14.438
Cincinnati	17	1.882	0.588	0.647	0.588	0.000	0.353	0.294	16.294	17.353
Buffalo	16	2.250	0.875	0.750	0.563	0.063	0.438	0.125	19.438	24.188
N.Y. Jets	16	1.563	0.625	0.375	0.438	0.063	0.313	0.250	13.750	17.438
Dallas	18	2.000	0.667	0.722	0.389	0.167	0.333	0.111	15.667	17.389
Denver	17	1.882	0.471	0.588	0.765	0.000	0.412	0.118	15.235	17.471
Detroit	17	2.176	0.647	0.824	0.706	0.000	0.353	0.059	19.765	18.824
San Diego	16	2.375	0.688	0.688	1.000	0.000	0.688	0.313	20.813	25.875
Pittsburgh	17	1.941	0.647	0.706	0.529	0.000	0.176	0.118	15.824	19.765
Minnesota	16	1.625	0.750	0.438	0.438	0.000	0.250	0.063	14.250	15.313
New England	19	2.526	1.053	0.684	0.789	0.000	0.579	0.263	22.842	23.579
Arizona	17	1.765	0.647	0.588	0.529	0.000	0.353	0.235	16.824	15.706
Tennessee	16	1.375	0.500	0.250	0.625	0.000	0.375	0.125	11.188	15.313
Jacksonville	16	1.063	0.625	0.063	0.375	0.000	0.250	0.125	10.125	9.125
Kansas City	16	1.000	0.438	0.063	0.500	0.000	0.250	0.125	8.375	10.125
Oakland	16	1.875	0.563	0.500	0.750	0.063	0.375	0.125	14.313	19.563
Houston	16	2.000	0.563	1.063	0.375	0.000	0.313	0.250	19.438	21.063
Indianapolis	19	1.579	0.684	0.474	0.421	0.000	0.105	0.105	11.474	17.789
Baltimore	18	1.389	0.667	0.222	0.500	0.000	0.167	0.000	10.556	11.944
Cleveland	16	2.063	0.750	0.875	0.375	0.063	0.313	0.188	18.438	19.813
Green Bay	18	1.500	0.333	0.500	0.556	0.056	0.278	0.111	11.111	14.167
N.Y. Giants	16	1.313	0.688	0.500	0.125	0.000	0.063	0.063	12.938	15.313
Washington	16	1.938	0.875	0.313	0.750	0.000	0.250	0.125	15.188	26.000
St. Louis	16	1.563	0.375	0.313	0.813	0.063	0.250	0.063	10.250	20.250
San Francisco	16	1.875	0.563	0.500	0.813	0.000	0.625	0.188	16.625	13.750
Carolina	18	1.056	0.222	0.389	0.389	0.056	0.389	0.222	9.056	14.000
Chicago	16	1.000	0.313	0.375	0.313	0.000	0.188	0.125	8.125	16.250
Tampa Bay	16	1.500	0.563	0.438	0.438	0.063	0.313	0.125	13.000	10.250
Philadelphia	16	1.938	0.625	0.500	0.750	0.063	0.500	0.313	18.500	21.563
Miami	16	0.875	0.375	0.250	0.125	0.063	0.063	0.000	6.750	11.063