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 (233), Defensive Holding (217), Roughing the Passer (93), Illegal Contact (67), Face Mask (61), Illegal Use of Hands (46), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (19), Horse Collar Tackle (9), Taunting (7), 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
Cleveland	17	1.294	0.412	0.353	0.529	0.000	0.294	0.176	10.294	15.353
LA Chargers	18	1.278	0.722	0.222	0.333	0.000	0.222	0.111	10.889	15.667
Denver	17	1.647	0.118	0.824	0.412	0.176	0.235	0.176	11.941	19.706
Seattle	18	1.389	0.500	0.389	0.444	0.056	0.389	0.167	12.556	15.500
Las Vegas	17	1.706	0.765	0.353	0.471	0.059	0.353	0.294	15.706	18.824
Tennessee	17	1.059	0.235	0.588	0.235	0.000	0.118	0.000	7.706	8.941
Kansas City	20	1.500	0.500	0.450	0.500	0.000	0.250	0.050	9.950	10.050
Jacksonville	19	1.526	0.368	0.842	0.211	0.053	0.105	0.105	12.895	11.579
Baltimore	18	1.222	0.500	0.389	0.333	0.000	0.222	0.111	11.167	11.833
Houston	17	1.235	0.471	0.471	0.294	0.000	0.176	0.059	10.235	14.471
Detroit	17	1.647	0.765	0.471	0.294	0.059	0.235	0.176	13.882	14.000
Cincinnati	19	1.474	0.421	0.421	0.526	0.053	0.105	0.053	10.368	14.947
Pittsburgh	17	1.353	0.235	0.529	0.588	0.000	0.235	0.000	9.353	11.824
Carolina	17	1.235	0.529	0.471	0.235	0.000	0.176	0.118	12.059	12.235
Atlanta	17	1.412	0.529	0.529	0.294	0.000	0.235	0.059	10.471	14.941
New Orleans	17	0.706	0.235	0.059	0.353	0.059	0.235	0.059	6.294	9.412
N.Y. Giants	19	1.421	0.684	0.421	0.316	0.000	0.053	0.053	11.368	11.632
San Francisco	20	1.200	0.550	0.150	0.450	0.050	0.250	0.100	9.950	13.000
Buffalo	18	1.167	0.667	0.222	0.278	0.000	0.222	0.056	10.278	14.056
Philadelphia	20	1.200	0.350	0.600	0.250	0.000	0.200	0.100	10.250	14.000
Washington	17	1.353	0.294	0.471	0.588	0.000	0.529	0.235	11.882	12.235
Minnesota	18	2.056	1.167	0.444	0.389	0.056	0.278	0.111	18.056	20.167
Tampa Bay	18	1.333	0.556	0.444	0.278	0.000	0.167	0.000	11.222	17.111
Miami	18	1.333	0.611	0.278	0.444	0.000	0.222	0.167	11.167	19.833
Dallas	19	1.263	0.158	0.474	0.579	0.053	0.368	0.211	10.316	17.632
Arizona	17	1.176	0.294	0.294	0.471	0.059	0.294	0.118	8.588	15.059
Green Bay	17	1.588	0.471	0.647	0.471	0.000	0.353	0.000	15.059	18.647
Chicago	17	1.000	0.176	0.294	0.529	0.000	0.176	0.000	8.235	8.706
New England	17	1.118	0.412	0.294	0.353	0.059	0.118	0.000	8.235	12.059
N.Y. Jets	17	1.294	0.471	0.471	0.353	0.000	0.235	0.118	11.412	14.353
Indianapolis	17	1.176	0.471	0.235	0.471	0.000	0.471	0.176	11.294	13.000
LA Rams	17	1.000	0.353	0.235	0.412	0.000	0.176	0.059	7.529	12.176