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 (289), Defensive Holding (211), Roughing the Passer (89), Face Mask (15 Yards) (63), Illegal Use of Hands (56), Illegal Contact (48), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (22), Horse Collar Tackle (16), and Taunting (7)

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
Denver	16	1.625	0.625	0.375	0.625	0.000	0.125	0.000	12.125	16.500
Tampa Bay	16	1.625	0.688	0.250	0.688	0.000	0.375	0.313	13.938	15.125
Chicago	16	1.063	0.563	0.438	0.063	0.000	0.063	0.000	9.875	14.938
Green Bay	19	1.789	0.632	0.579	0.526	0.053	0.368	0.316	16.053	24.053
Jacksonville	16	2.250	0.688	0.750	0.750	0.063	0.375	0.188	19.875	27.188
N.Y. Jets	16	1.438	0.438	0.250	0.750	0.000	0.375	0.250	12.875	15.813
Cincinnati	16	1.938	0.938	0.375	0.625	0.000	0.438	0.250	17.563	19.688
Cleveland	16	1.750	0.375	0.813	0.500	0.063	0.438	0.250	15.563	20.563
San Diego	16	1.813	0.625	0.625	0.563	0.000	0.375	0.188	14.625	13.313
Washington	16	1.563	0.563	0.500	0.500	0.000	0.250	0.125	14.000	22.500
San Francisco	16	0.875	0.313	0.375	0.125	0.063	0.000	0.063	7.375	8.063
Detroit	17	1.882	0.412	0.765	0.706	0.000	0.529	0.294	14.765	17.529
Tennessee	16	1.438	0.563	0.563	0.313	0.000	0.188	0.125	11.125	16.750
Kansas City	17	1.000	0.529	0.176	0.294	0.000	0.176	0.059	8.294	7.765
Miami	17	0.941	0.706	0.118	0.118	0.000	0.059	0.059	9.353	10.000
N.Y. Giants	17	1.118	0.412	0.529	0.176	0.000	0.059	0.000	7.118	9.706
Dallas	17	1.235	0.588	0.353	0.294	0.000	0.176	0.059	9.471	14.588
Seattle	18	1.278	0.389	0.389	0.444	0.056	0.278	0.111	12.444	18.000
LA Rams	16	1.375	0.500	0.438	0.438	0.000	0.250	0.188	12.563	17.313
Oakland	17	1.765	0.647	0.294	0.706	0.118	0.529	0.294	13.471	23.412
Minnesota	16	1.250	0.375	0.375	0.500	0.000	0.313	0.063	8.375	13.688
Philadelphia	16	1.125	0.250	0.313	0.500	0.000	0.313	0.125	8.813	13.375
Pittsburgh	19	1.158	0.526	0.526	0.105	0.000	0.053	0.000	8.895	12.368
Atlanta	19	1.579	0.737	0.368	0.421	0.053	0.105	0.105	13.053	18.526
Carolina	16	1.250	0.500	0.125	0.500	0.125	0.250	0.250	10.563	15.125
Baltimore	16	1.375	0.625	0.250	0.438	0.063	0.250	0.125	12.000	17.500
Houston	18	1.889	0.500	0.556	0.667	0.167	0.500	0.167	16.056	19.167
Buffalo	16	1.375	0.375	0.313	0.625	0.063	0.438	0.438	13.125	16.563
Arizona	16	1.938	0.750	0.563	0.563	0.063	0.313	0.188	16.063	17.063
Indianapolis	16	1.875	0.500	0.625	0.750	0.000	0.375	0.125	15.938	24.438
New England	19	1.947	0.263	0.632	1.000	0.000	0.421	0.211	14.263	19.579
New Orleans	16	1.438	0.563	0.313	0.563	0.000	0.375	0.125	12.813	16.125