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 (284), Defensive Holding (253), Roughing the Passer (136), Illegal Use of Hands (76), Face Mask (15 Yards) (50), Illegal Contact (38), Lowering the Head to Initiate Contact (24), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (19), Horse Collar Tackle (19), Taunting (4), 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
Chicago	16	1.750	0.500	0.500	0.750	0.000	0.250	0.125	14.000	13.563
Green Bay	18	1.944	0.333	0.667	0.833	0.111	0.500	0.222	15.944	22.500
Minnesota	18	2.000	0.667	0.500	0.833	0.000	0.611	0.222	16.722	19.000
Atlanta	16	2.000	0.438	0.563	1.000	0.000	0.500	0.188	16.688	23.875
LA Rams	16	1.313	0.313	0.563	0.438	0.000	0.313	0.188	11.313	11.125
Cleveland	16	1.875	0.500	0.500	0.625	0.188	0.438	0.188	13.250	16.438
LA Chargers	16	2.188	1.000	0.750	0.313	0.125	0.313	0.188	20.938	25.000
Seattle	18	1.333	0.611	0.500	0.167	0.056	0.167	0.111	13.611	13.333
Cincinnati	16	2.125	0.750	0.563	0.688	0.125	0.500	0.375	19.813	21.563
Tampa Bay	16	1.500	0.688	0.500	0.250	0.063	0.188	0.188	14.188	19.438
San Francisco	19	1.526	0.579	0.211	0.579	0.158	0.368	0.158	11.474	16.211
New England	17	1.824	0.294	0.706	0.706	0.118	0.412	0.412	14.706	19.647
Pittsburgh	16	2.250	0.688	0.750	0.813	0.000	0.438	0.188	18.938	29.813
Denver	16	2.000	0.813	0.375	0.750	0.063	0.438	0.250	15.875	21.313
Arizona	16	1.688	0.625	0.500	0.500	0.063	0.438	0.063	14.563	23.313
Buffalo	17	1.235	0.294	0.412	0.471	0.059	0.294	0.176	9.706	14.941
Indianapolis	16	1.938	0.938	0.313	0.625	0.063	0.438	0.250	15.063	24.125
Tennessee	19	1.737	0.895	0.474	0.368	0.000	0.263	0.211	16.211	17.000
Oakland	16	1.063	0.500	0.313	0.250	0.000	0.188	0.063	8.813	11.000
Kansas City	19	2.368	1.000	0.684	0.684	0.000	0.474	0.211	20.368	22.737
Jacksonville	16	1.688	0.500	0.500	0.500	0.188	0.313	0.063	14.188	18.000
Miami	16	2.188	1.063	0.375	0.750	0.000	0.313	0.250	19.188	26.375
Philadelphia	17	1.882	0.765	0.529	0.471	0.059	0.353	0.176	17.294	22.765
N.Y. Giants	16	1.563	0.500	0.438	0.625	0.000	0.438	0.188	11.813	14.313
New Orleans	17	0.941	0.294	0.353	0.294	0.000	0.059	0.059	7.000	8.706
Washington	16	1.063	0.375	0.250	0.313	0.063	0.188	0.063	8.188	11.375
Carolina	16	1.125	0.500	0.375	0.188	0.063	0.125	0.000	9.188	16.313
Houston	18	1.722	0.556	0.500	0.667	0.000	0.444	0.167	14.278	14.389
Dallas	16	1.563	0.750	0.250	0.563	0.000	0.313	0.000	14.250	14.250
N.Y. Jets	16	1.563	0.563	0.438	0.563	0.000	0.375	0.188	13.750	18.250
Detroit	16	1.813	1.000	0.625	0.188	0.000	0.125	0.063	17.375	17.813
Baltimore	17	1.353	0.529	0.588	0.235	0.000	0.118	0.000	11.059	15.765