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 (315), Defensive Holding (180), Roughing the Passer (100), Face Mask (65), Illegal Contact (57), Illegal Use of Hands (55), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (15), Horse Collar Tackle (14), Taunting (5), Tripping (1), and Lowering the Head to Make Forcible Contact (1)

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
Kansas City	20	1.250	0.450	0.300	0.400	0.050	0.300	0.100	10.150	14.400
Philadelphia	21	1.190	0.286	0.238	0.619	0.000	0.333	0.190	9.000	12.667
New England	17	1.647	0.647	0.294	0.706	0.000	0.353	0.059	13.529	19.176
Miami	17	1.294	0.412	0.588	0.235	0.059	0.176	0.059	11.471	13.765
Jacksonville	17	1.588	0.706	0.412	0.471	0.000	0.353	0.176	15.000	16.235
N.Y. Giants	17	1.118	0.235	0.235	0.647	0.000	0.588	0.294	9.941	18.412
Minnesota	18	1.167	0.333	0.222	0.611	0.000	0.389	0.167	9.667	14.389
Arizona	17	0.882	0.471	0.176	0.235	0.000	0.118	0.059	7.000	12.412
Carolina	17	1.529	0.706	0.412	0.412	0.000	0.235	0.118	12.941	16.941
New Orleans	17	1.118	0.353	0.529	0.235	0.000	0.000	0.000	8.647	14.647
Denver	18	2.056	1.000	0.556	0.500	0.000	0.389	0.111	17.722	24.389
Washington	20	1.950	0.500	0.450	0.950	0.050	0.500	0.300	15.500	24.200
Tampa Bay	18	1.556	0.556	0.389	0.611	0.000	0.333	0.222	12.111	13.833
Detroit	18	2.444	0.778	0.944	0.611	0.056	0.389	0.111	21.611	25.611
Baltimore	19	2.368	0.632	0.684	0.684	0.316	0.368	0.316	19.842	25.526
Dallas	17	1.176	0.353	0.588	0.176	0.059	0.118	0.118	9.294	10.471
Seattle	17	1.647	0.647	0.471	0.471	0.059	0.294	0.059	12.882	19.235
Cincinnati	17	1.706	0.412	0.412	0.824	0.059	0.529	0.353	14.824	19.529
Houston	19	1.579	0.737	0.526	0.263	0.053	0.211	0.105	15.579	16.632
N.Y. Jets	17	2.235	0.882	0.765	0.412	0.176	0.294	0.118	18.059	25.235
Indianapolis	17	1.235	0.471	0.471	0.294	0.000	0.176	0.059	10.176	10.588
Las Vegas	17	1.235	0.294	0.353	0.529	0.059	0.235	0.176	10.471	15.000
LA Rams	19	1.105	0.211	0.316	0.526	0.053	0.421	0.263	9.579	12.474
San Francisco	17	1.059	0.588	0.176	0.294	0.000	0.176	0.059	8.294	13.235
Buffalo	20	1.200	0.200	0.600	0.400	0.000	0.200	0.000	9.300	7.950
Pittsburgh	18	1.111	0.444	0.389	0.278	0.000	0.278	0.111	10.056	11.500
Green Bay	18	1.056	0.444	0.056	0.444	0.000	0.167	0.000	6.833	8.444
Chicago	17	0.706	0.118	0.353	0.235	0.000	0.118	0.000	6.294	10.588
Cleveland	17	1.000	0.471	0.353	0.118	0.059	0.118	0.000	8.647	12.000
Tennessee	17	1.824	0.529	0.412	0.824	0.059	0.706	0.471	17.235	19.588
Atlanta	17	0.824	0.353	0.235	0.235	0.000	0.118	0.059	7.647	8.882
LA Chargers	18	1.389	0.556	0.444	0.222	0.167	0.167	0.111	11.778	11.778