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 Pass Interference (289), Defensive Holding (211), Roughing the Passer (89), Face Mask (15 Yards) (63), Illegal Use of Hands (56), Illegal Contact (48), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (22), Horse Collar Tackle (16), and Taunting (7)

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
Chicago	16	2.063	0.500	0.563	1.000	0.000	0.625	0.313	15.188	24.063
Washington	16	2.000	0.938	0.625	0.375	0.063	0.188	0.250	16.063	20.500
Miami	17	1.941	0.529	0.471	0.882	0.000	0.353	0.235	14.118	21.000
Oakland	17	1.882	0.765	0.529	0.588	0.000	0.294	0.000	15.941	18.647
Denver	16	1.813	0.625	0.375	0.750	0.063	0.438	0.313	14.938	18.250
LA Rams	16	1.750	0.750	0.438	0.500	0.063	0.313	0.313	17.188	18.813
Minnesota	16	1.750	0.188	0.750	0.688	0.125	0.375	0.250	13.250	19.688
Tennessee	16	1.688	0.688	0.500	0.375	0.125	0.250	0.188	16.625	20.250
Indianapolis	16	1.688	0.750	0.438	0.500	0.000	0.188	0.000	12.875	17.438
Houston	18	1.611	0.611	0.500	0.500	0.000	0.278	0.056	14.056	25.833
Jacksonville	16	1.563	0.500	0.563	0.500	0.000	0.313	0.188	14.125	19.938
Cincinnati	16	1.563	0.438	0.375	0.750	0.000	0.313	0.250	12.625	12.313
Arizona	16	1.563	0.313	0.500	0.688	0.063	0.313	0.250	13.000	17.875
Seattle	18	1.556	0.444	0.667	0.444	0.000	0.278	0.222	13.944	15.278
N.Y. Jets	16	1.500	0.625	0.375	0.500	0.000	0.375	0.125	12.688	19.438
Philadelphia	16	1.500	0.750	0.313	0.438	0.000	0.188	0.063	12.250	17.063
Baltimore	16	1.500	0.625	0.688	0.125	0.063	0.063	0.063	13.688	15.563
New Orleans	16	1.438	0.563	0.375	0.313	0.188	0.063	0.000	9.063	19.125
San Diego	16	1.438	0.375	0.500	0.563	0.000	0.500	0.125	11.000	11.250
Buffalo	16	1.438	0.563	0.250	0.625	0.000	0.250	0.125	13.563	16.438
Pittsburgh	19	1.421	0.526	0.421	0.421	0.053	0.368	0.211	12.579	19.000
Kansas City	17	1.412	0.706	0.353	0.353	0.000	0.235	0.176	12.118	14.000
Detroit	17	1.412	0.529	0.529	0.353	0.000	0.176	0.059	10.588	17.471
N.Y. Giants	17	1.412	0.353	0.294	0.706	0.059	0.588	0.235	12.706	20.529
Dallas	17	1.353	0.529	0.294	0.529	0.000	0.353	0.176	12.059	13.529
Atlanta	19	1.316	0.474	0.368	0.421	0.000	0.211	0.105	10.632	14.263
San Francisco	16	1.313	0.625	0.250	0.438	0.000	0.250	0.188	12.125	13.250
Cleveland	16	1.188	0.375	0.500	0.313	0.000	0.250	0.125	10.063	11.750
Green Bay	19	1.158	0.368	0.368	0.368	0.053	0.263	0.158	9.842	12.158
New England	19	1.158	0.474	0.316	0.368	0.000	0.158	0.158	9.737	12.526
Tampa Bay	16	1.063	0.438	0.250	0.313	0.063	0.188	0.125	8.625	12.188
Carolina	16	0.688	0.250	0.250	0.188	0.000	0.125	0.000	6.063	8.125