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 (227), Defensive Holding (138), Illegal Contact (81), Roughing the Passer (77), Face Mask (52), Illegal Use of Hands (33), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (12), Taunting (9), Tripping (6), and Horse Collar Tackle (2)

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
Dallas	13	2.538	0.462	1.231	0.769	0.000	0.308	0.308	19.077	32.308
Cleveland	13	1.846	0.538	0.462	0.846	0.000	0.462	0.077	15.231	13.923
Cincinnati	13	1.692	0.846	0.538	0.154	0.154	0.077	0.000	12.923	19.769
Carolina	13	1.692	0.462	0.385	0.615	0.154	0.308	0.154	12.154	13.769
Arizona	13	1.385	0.385	0.462	0.538	0.000	0.308	0.077	10.000	17.154
New Orleans	13	1.692	0.308	1.077	0.308	0.000	0.154	0.154	15.692	15.769
New England	13	1.385	0.308	0.385	0.462	0.231	0.385	0.231	12.538	13.308
Pittsburgh	13	1.385	0.385	0.308	0.615	0.000	0.462	0.000	10.769	15.538
Denver	13	1.308	0.308	0.462	0.385	0.154	0.231	0.000	9.615	13.231
Seattle	13	1.538	0.846	0.538	0.077	0.077	0.000	0.000	13.154	14.692
Buffalo	13	1.692	0.462	0.385	0.538	0.308	0.308	0.077	12.923	18.000
Minnesota	13	1.615	0.769	0.231	0.462	0.077	0.385	0.154	14.385	17.692
San Francisco	13	1.154	0.462	0.385	0.308	0.000	0.308	0.077	10.308	8.154
Tennessee	13	1.231	0.538	0.308	0.154	0.231	0.154	0.154	9.769	8.615
Baltimore	13	1.231	0.538	0.231	0.462	0.000	0.308	0.154	11.846	12.308
N.Y. Giants	13	2.231	0.692	0.462	0.769	0.308	0.615	0.462	19.231	25.615
Indianapolis	13	1.538	0.615	0.615	0.308	0.000	0.308	0.308	17.077	20.077
Las Vegas	13	1.462	0.308	0.615	0.538	0.000	0.308	0.154	11.385	13.462
Green Bay	13	1.308	0.462	0.538	0.308	0.000	0.077	0.000	9.692	15.846
Jacksonville	13	1.769	0.846	0.385	0.462	0.077	0.385	0.231	18.385	20.077
Philadelphia	13	1.077	0.538	0.154	0.308	0.077	0.231	0.231	9.538	12.077
LA Rams	13	1.846	0.692	0.462	0.615	0.077	0.308	0.077	12.923	16.846
N.Y. Jets	13	0.923	0.231	0.385	0.231	0.077	0.154	0.154	9.462	12.692
Tampa Bay	13	2.000	0.538	0.846	0.538	0.077	0.231	0.231	17.846	23.231
LA Chargers	13	1.385	0.308	0.538	0.538	0.000	0.231	0.077	11.231	15.231
Kansas City	13	1.538	0.538	0.385	0.615	0.000	0.462	0.308	15.308	22.615
Washington	13	1.846	0.308	0.538	0.692	0.231	0.308	0.231	12.769	18.000
Miami	13	0.538	0.308	0.000	0.231	0.000	0.154	0.077	4.846	5.615
Houston	13	2.077	1.000	0.615	0.462	0.000	0.385	0.231	19.538	14.615
Atlanta	13	1.846	0.615	0.692	0.538	0.000	0.385	0.154	16.692	19.692
Chicago	13	1.308	0.462	0.462	0.385	0.000	0.385	0.154	11.231	8.615
Detroit	13	0.923	0.385	0.077	0.385	0.000	0.308	0.077	6.923	8.538