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 (180), Illegal Contact (96), Roughing the Passer (94), Face Mask (68), Illegal Use of Hands (47), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (18), Taunting (14), Tripping (10), and Horse Collar Tackle (4)

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
Philadelphia	18	1.944	0.611	0.722	0.611	0.000	0.389	0.222	16.278	25.222
Cincinnati	17	1.294	0.588	0.353	0.235	0.118	0.118	0.059	11.118	10.529
Cleveland	17	1.118	0.471	0.235	0.412	0.000	0.353	0.235	11.529	11.706
Jacksonville	18	1.833	0.667	0.611	0.444	0.111	0.278	0.111	15.167	19.889
New Orleans	17	1.353	0.412	0.235	0.647	0.059	0.471	0.235	10.765	16.176
Arizona	17	1.588	0.471	0.882	0.118	0.059	0.000	0.000	12.353	11.529
Las Vegas	17	1.294	0.176	0.353	0.647	0.118	0.353	0.176	9.765	16.647
N.Y. Jets	17	1.647	0.588	0.294	0.706	0.059	0.588	0.294	17.118	18.529
Tennessee	17	1.471	0.765	0.412	0.294	0.000	0.176	0.059	11.765	15.588
San Francisco	19	1.316	0.368	0.421	0.474	0.053	0.263	0.105	11.421	11.421
Baltimore	17	1.294	0.588	0.176	0.412	0.059	0.176	0.000	10.235	15.059
Chicago	19	1.421	0.474	0.421	0.474	0.000	0.263	0.105	12.421	16.421
LA Rams	20	1.200	0.350	0.550	0.250	0.050	0.200	0.150	11.450	10.350
N.Y. Giants	17	1.765	0.588	0.706	0.412	0.059	0.294	0.118	16.353	23.588
Dallas	17	1.353	0.412	0.294	0.529	0.118	0.294	0.118	10.059	17.529
Denver	19	1.895	0.579	0.632	0.526	0.158	0.368	0.474	17.368	25.211
Indianapolis	17	1.765	0.647	0.529	0.471	0.118	0.353	0.118	15.000	17.000
Carolina	18	1.111	0.278	0.333	0.500	0.000	0.333	0.222	11.111	11.556
LA Chargers	18	1.000	0.056	0.333	0.444	0.167	0.333	0.056	5.944	9.889
Miami	17	1.647	0.941	0.353	0.353	0.000	0.235	0.118	17.059	17.412
Atlanta	17	1.471	0.412	0.471	0.529	0.059	0.353	0.235	12.647	16.412
Green Bay	18	1.444	0.333	0.333	0.667	0.056	0.333	0.222	10.833	12.444
Houston	19	1.579	0.737	0.474	0.316	0.053	0.263	0.105	15.579	16.105
Minnesota	17	1.118	0.588	0.176	0.353	0.000	0.294	0.118	10.353	12.000
New England	20	1.300	0.350	0.500	0.450	0.000	0.250	0.000	8.900	15.850
Pittsburgh	18	1.333	0.333	0.556	0.278	0.167	0.167	0.000	10.500	13.111
Tampa Bay	17	1.176	0.471	0.529	0.176	0.000	0.118	0.000	11.000	11.118
Kansas City	17	1.647	0.588	0.529	0.412	0.059	0.294	0.235	13.706	14.765
Detroit	17	1.706	0.412	0.471	0.647	0.118	0.471	0.176	12.353	12.941
Seattle	19	1.474	0.421	0.526	0.526	0.000	0.421	0.158	12.737	13.211
Buffalo	19	1.263	0.421	0.474	0.316	0.053	0.263	0.211	12.053	13.211
Washington	17	1.412	0.588	0.353	0.235	0.176	0.118	0.059	10.882	14.412