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 (247), Defensive Holding (175), Roughing the Passer (89), Face Mask (15 Yards) (54), Personal Foul (45), Illegal Use of Hands (40), Illegal Contact (38), Horse Collar Tackle (26), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (25), Taunting (16), and Tripping (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
Baltimore	16	2.188	0.563	1.000	0.563	0.000	0.375	0.125	18.125	32.625
Arizona	16	2.125	0.938	0.625	0.563	0.000	0.313	0.063	17.813	25.188
Atlanta	16	2.063	0.625	0.813	0.438	0.188	0.250	0.188	16.313	23.375
San Diego	18	2.000	0.722	0.667	0.611	0.000	0.333	0.056	17.389	22.167
New England	18	2.000	0.667	0.611	0.611	0.056	0.278	0.111	17.167	23.667
Kansas City	17	1.824	0.588	0.882	0.353	0.000	0.294	0.118	15.529	14.941
Tampa Bay	16	1.813	0.625	0.688	0.500	0.000	0.313	0.125	15.813	25.188
Tennessee	16	1.750	0.625	0.250	0.750	0.125	0.438	0.188	13.938	17.125
Denver	19	1.684	0.684	0.421	0.579	0.000	0.316	0.053	12.895	18.684
Buffalo	16	1.625	0.375	0.438	0.813	0.000	0.438	0.125	12.688	17.438
Indianapolis	18	1.611	0.611	0.389	0.611	0.000	0.278	0.167	13.111	21.222
Dallas	16	1.563	0.625	0.563	0.375	0.000	0.188	0.000	12.000	14.375
Chicago	16	1.563	0.500	0.188	0.813	0.000	0.563	0.313	11.938	14.875
N.Y. Giants	16	1.500	0.875	0.250	0.313	0.063	0.125	0.063	11.125	16.375
Green Bay	17	1.412	0.412	0.353	0.588	0.059	0.353	0.118	11.471	18.471
New Orleans	18	1.333	0.389	0.556	0.389	0.000	0.167	0.000	11.722	14.389
St. Louis	16	1.313	0.375	0.313	0.500	0.125	0.375	0.125	10.500	16.000
Carolina	17	1.294	0.294	0.353	0.647	0.000	0.353	0.059	10.059	13.235
Jacksonville	16	1.250	0.563	0.125	0.563	0.000	0.438	0.125	10.063	14.250
Minnesota	16	1.250	0.188	0.375	0.563	0.125	0.250	0.188	9.000	20.000
Philadelphia	17	1.235	0.529	0.294	0.353	0.000	0.235	0.059	10.588	14.412
Seattle	19	1.211	0.737	0.263	0.211	0.000	0.053	0.000	10.579	15.421
San Francisco	19	1.158	0.579	0.211	0.368	0.000	0.368	0.211	12.263	12.895
Detroit	16	1.125	0.375	0.250	0.500	0.000	0.313	0.188	8.063	11.438
Cleveland	16	1.063	0.438	0.375	0.250	0.000	0.188	0.063	9.750	9.625
N.Y. Jets	16	1.063	0.188	0.563	0.313	0.000	0.313	0.063	9.875	13.500
Pittsburgh	16	1.000	0.688	0.250	0.063	0.000	0.063	0.000	8.563	13.500
Cincinnati	17	0.941	0.235	0.353	0.353	0.000	0.294	0.118	7.706	13.294
Houston	16	0.938	0.375	0.188	0.313	0.063	0.125	0.063	7.688	11.500
Oakland	16	0.938	0.250	0.375	0.188	0.125	0.125	0.063	6.938	11.188
Washington	16	0.750	0.438	0.125	0.188	0.000	0.125	0.063	7.500	6.813
Miami	16	0.625	0.313	0.188	0.125	0.000	0.000	0.000	5.750	5.563