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
Green Bay	18	0.944	0.556	0.056	0.333	0.000	0.167	0.111	8.389	9.389
Chicago	16	1.250	0.375	0.500	0.313	0.063	0.125	0.063	10.563	11.125
Atlanta	16	1.625	1.000	0.250	0.375	0.000	0.313	0.125	15.750	17.000
Minnesota	18	1.389	0.444	0.444	0.500	0.000	0.222	0.056	12.333	17.111
Carolina	16	1.563	0.375	0.563	0.625	0.000	0.375	0.188	12.750	17.313
Tennessee	19	1.579	0.368	0.684	0.474	0.053	0.421	0.105	11.421	21.316
Indianapolis	16	1.188	0.500	0.250	0.438	0.000	0.313	0.188	9.750	11.750
Cincinnati	16	1.125	0.438	0.250	0.438	0.000	0.313	0.063	9.250	11.438
Seattle	18	1.500	0.611	0.333	0.500	0.000	0.222	0.111	12.556	18.167
San Francisco	19	1.421	0.474	0.211	0.632	0.105	0.421	0.211	12.105	18.579
Tampa Bay	16	2.000	0.688	0.688	0.438	0.188	0.313	0.188	16.500	24.563
Pittsburgh	16	1.688	0.500	0.625	0.500	0.063	0.375	0.250	15.813	18.750
New England	17	1.941	0.706	0.882	0.353	0.000	0.176	0.059	16.529	19.882
Oakland	16	2.563	1.250	0.563	0.688	0.063	0.500	0.313	23.313	28.625
Baltimore	17	2.000	0.529	0.588	0.647	0.235	0.471	0.471	18.294	19.471
Detroit	16	1.875	0.688	0.438	0.750	0.000	0.500	0.313	15.688	16.063
Miami	16	1.875	0.438	0.563	0.750	0.063	0.563	0.375	15.625	19.375
N.Y. Giants	16	1.750	0.500	0.563	0.563	0.125	0.438	0.188	14.813	18.500
Kansas City	19	2.105	1.105	0.368	0.579	0.053	0.368	0.211	19.105	23.579
New Orleans	17	2.235	0.706	0.471	0.824	0.235	0.412	0.176	17.588	19.176
Dallas	16	1.688	0.375	0.625	0.688	0.000	0.438	0.188	13.250	21.625
N.Y. Jets	16	2.063	0.875	0.188	0.875	0.063	0.500	0.375	18.063	27.000
Houston	18	1.667	0.500	0.556	0.556	0.056	0.444	0.278	15.056	20.444
LA Rams	16	1.563	0.625	0.625	0.313	0.000	0.188	0.000	14.313	14.688
Washington	16	1.563	0.500	0.625	0.375	0.063	0.125	0.000	11.438	12.313
Philadelphia	17	1.471	0.471	0.412	0.588	0.000	0.529	0.235	13.118	13.588
LA Chargers	16	1.438	0.438	0.313	0.625	0.063	0.188	0.000	9.250	14.250
Buffalo	17	1.765	0.882	0.529	0.294	0.059	0.118	0.059	14.000	16.471
Arizona	16	1.625	0.500	0.813	0.313	0.000	0.188	0.000	13.375	16.438
Denver	16	1.875	0.688	0.688	0.500	0.000	0.313	0.063	16.313	16.875
Cleveland	16	2.000	0.813	0.375	0.813	0.000	0.375	0.188	17.250	25.188
Jacksonville	16	1.938	0.938	0.625	0.375	0.000	0.313	0.063	17.500	22.875