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
Green Bay	18	1.444	0.333	0.500	0.500	0.056	0.222	0.056	11.000	19.222
Atlanta	16	1.188	0.250	0.313	0.500	0.063	0.313	0.250	10.188	10.000
New Orleans	16	1.813	0.563	0.750	0.500	0.000	0.250	0.125	15.563	16.875
Baltimore	18	2.056	0.444	0.722	0.833	0.000	0.500	0.222	15.944	30.500
Chicago	16	2.063	0.938	0.313	0.750	0.000	0.500	0.125	15.500	22.813
Oakland	16	1.188	0.375	0.375	0.438	0.000	0.313	0.063	9.563	13.563
San Francisco	16	1.938	0.563	0.375	0.938	0.063	0.563	0.375	16.063	15.438
Indianapolis	19	2.105	1.105	0.421	0.474	0.105	0.368	0.211	19.632	21.684
N.Y. Giants	16	1.688	0.875	0.500	0.188	0.125	0.063	0.063	15.125	20.125
Arizona	17	2.353	0.882	0.706	0.706	0.000	0.294	0.118	19.000	25.588
Cleveland	16	1.313	0.313	0.438	0.500	0.063	0.188	0.063	10.250	11.250
New England	19	1.737	0.526	0.789	0.421	0.000	0.211	0.053	13.632	17.474
Minnesota	16	1.500	0.438	0.563	0.313	0.063	0.313	0.188	13.000	15.000
Dallas	18	1.944	0.500	0.722	0.722	0.000	0.556	0.278	17.889	20.833
Washington	16	2.188	0.750	0.750	0.625	0.063	0.313	0.125	18.250	18.063
Denver	17	1.824	0.824	0.412	0.588	0.000	0.294	0.118	14.235	17.647
Kansas City	16	1.625	0.375	0.500	0.688	0.063	0.438	0.250	14.188	13.938
Houston	16	1.688	0.813	0.500	0.375	0.000	0.250	0.000	15.125	13.875
Philadelphia	16	1.813	0.750	0.313	0.750	0.000	0.375	0.188	16.500	23.500
San Diego	16	2.063	0.938	0.375	0.750	0.000	0.375	0.000	18.000	19.938
Cincinnati	17	1.235	0.294	0.471	0.412	0.059	0.176	0.059	9.235	10.529
Detroit	17	1.353	0.353	0.235	0.706	0.059	0.471	0.294	10.882	14.235
Pittsburgh	17	1.824	0.765	0.529	0.529	0.000	0.294	0.176	15.471	17.824
Carolina	18	1.778	1.000	0.500	0.278	0.000	0.167	0.167	16.722	15.833
St. Louis	16	1.188	0.250	0.375	0.563	0.000	0.250	0.188	10.875	15.438
Tennessee	16	1.188	0.438	0.313	0.438	0.000	0.250	0.063	9.250	9.750
N.Y. Jets	16	1.313	0.250	0.438	0.563	0.063	0.375	0.125	10.625	13.375
Miami	16	1.938	0.625	0.625	0.563	0.063	0.438	0.250	17.875	20.313
Tampa Bay	16	1.750	0.750	0.438	0.563	0.000	0.313	0.188	15.875	19.938
Jacksonville	16	2.063	0.938	0.875	0.250	0.000	0.250	0.188	20.875	18.750
Seattle	19	1.211	0.316	0.368	0.526	0.000	0.316	0.105	8.632	11.842
Buffalo	16	1.125	0.313	0.438	0.375	0.000	0.313	0.125	9.750	10.188