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
Baltimore	19	1.316	0.579	0.474	0.263	0.000	0.105	0.105	12.000	11.684
Green Bay	18	1.111	0.111	0.222	0.778	0.000	0.333	0.056	7.444	16.500
Cincinnati	17	2.000	1.059	0.588	0.235	0.059	0.235	0.118	15.706	20.353
Jacksonville	17	0.824	0.412	0.235	0.176	0.000	0.176	0.059	7.118	9.235
Miami	17	1.176	0.647	0.176	0.353	0.000	0.176	0.118	11.059	13.706
Minnesota	18	2.167	0.833	0.722	0.556	0.056	0.333	0.167	18.111	27.111
N.Y. Giants	17	1.471	0.529	0.235	0.588	0.118	0.176	0.059	11.765	17.941
Buffalo	20	1.550	0.750	0.350	0.400	0.050	0.350	0.100	14.600	15.200
New Orleans	17	1.000	0.294	0.176	0.471	0.059	0.235	0.176	8.471	10.824
Carolina	17	1.294	0.294	0.353	0.529	0.059	0.235	0.235	9.412	14.529
Seattle	17	1.765	0.706	0.353	0.529	0.118	0.176	0.059	12.941	19.765
Tampa Bay	18	1.833	0.667	0.444	0.667	0.056	0.444	0.222	14.778	21.222
Washington	20	1.650	0.450	0.500	0.600	0.100	0.350	0.300	13.750	18.300
LA Rams	19	1.632	0.474	0.632	0.526	0.000	0.421	0.105	13.579	19.105
Cleveland	17	1.412	0.529	0.471	0.412	0.000	0.353	0.176	13.235	16.176
Las Vegas	17	1.176	0.412	0.294	0.471	0.000	0.412	0.176	10.353	12.529
New England	17	1.471	0.353	0.647	0.353	0.118	0.176	0.176	13.882	13.824
Kansas City	20	1.600	0.700	0.350	0.450	0.050	0.250	0.100	13.650	17.400
Pittsburgh	18	1.667	0.556	0.556	0.500	0.056	0.278	0.167	14.278	21.000
Chicago	17	1.353	0.294	0.412	0.471	0.118	0.353	0.294	11.765	13.471
Arizona	17	1.471	0.588	0.412	0.412	0.059	0.294	0.059	12.294	15.529
San Francisco	17	1.294	0.588	0.235	0.471	0.000	0.353	0.118	11.059	12.765
Atlanta	17	1.529	0.412	0.353	0.706	0.059	0.294	0.059	10.647	16.118
Indianapolis	17	1.235	0.412	0.588	0.235	0.000	0.235	0.118	12.235	19.706
N.Y. Jets	17	1.471	0.412	0.294	0.706	0.059	0.412	0.235	11.471	17.941
Denver	18	0.833	0.444	0.389	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	7.167	7.444
Tennessee	17	1.647	0.647	0.471	0.529	0.000	0.412	0.118	14.765	17.118
Houston	19	0.947	0.105	0.263	0.421	0.105	0.316	0.211	7.737	8.947
LA Chargers	18	1.556	0.500	0.556	0.444	0.056	0.278	0.167	13.222	17.389
Dallas	17	1.882	0.471	0.706	0.706	0.000	0.471	0.176	15.882	16.765
Detroit	18	0.944	0.333	0.278	0.333	0.000	0.278	0.000	8.278	9.667
Philadelphia	21	1.095	0.190	0.571	0.333	0.000	0.286	0.143	8.952	11.190