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
Dallas	17	2.235	0.471	1.059	0.647	0.000	0.294	0.235	17.294	27.412
Cleveland	17	1.647	0.529	0.412	0.706	0.000	0.412	0.118	14.588	13.588
Cincinnati	17	1.588	0.882	0.471	0.118	0.118	0.059	0.000	12.471	18.412
Carolina	18	1.444	0.333	0.444	0.500	0.111	0.222	0.111	10.611	12.389
Arizona	17	1.176	0.294	0.353	0.471	0.059	0.294	0.059	8.353	13.706
New Orleans	17	1.588	0.294	0.941	0.353	0.000	0.235	0.235	16.471	15.294
New England	20	1.300	0.300	0.300	0.500	0.150	0.350	0.150	10.600	13.050
Pittsburgh	18	1.389	0.500	0.222	0.611	0.000	0.500	0.056	11.500	15.333
Denver	19	1.105	0.263	0.474	0.263	0.105	0.158	0.000	8.632	12.105
Seattle	19	1.474	0.632	0.579	0.211	0.053	0.105	0.053	13.158	13.947
Buffalo	19	1.421	0.316	0.263	0.632	0.211	0.316	0.158	11.158	15.632
Minnesota	17	1.647	0.824	0.353	0.353	0.059	0.294	0.118	14.118	17.647
San Francisco	19	1.158	0.421	0.474	0.263	0.000	0.263	0.053	9.632	7.842
Tennessee	17	1.118	0.412	0.235	0.294	0.176	0.235	0.176	9.000	10.118
Baltimore	17	1.059	0.471	0.235	0.353	0.000	0.235	0.118	10.235	11.176
N.Y. Giants	17	2.176	0.647	0.471	0.824	0.235	0.706	0.471	19.824	24.941
Indianapolis	17	1.471	0.647	0.471	0.353	0.000	0.353	0.235	16.294	20.706
Las Vegas	17	1.353	0.294	0.647	0.412	0.000	0.235	0.118	10.706	11.412
Green Bay	18	1.278	0.500	0.444	0.333	0.000	0.056	0.000	9.389	16.444
Jacksonville	18	1.667	0.889	0.333	0.389	0.056	0.333	0.167	17.556	18.500
Philadelphia	18	1.111	0.389	0.167	0.444	0.111	0.333	0.278	9.222	12.500
LA Rams	20	1.600	0.500	0.500	0.500	0.100	0.250	0.100	11.200	13.700
N.Y. Jets	17	0.882	0.294	0.294	0.176	0.118	0.118	0.118	8.471	12.353
Tampa Bay	17	2.294	0.765	0.941	0.529	0.059	0.235	0.235	19.588	23.706
LA Chargers	18	1.389	0.389	0.556	0.444	0.000	0.222	0.056	11.389	14.611
Kansas City	17	1.294	0.529	0.294	0.471	0.000	0.353	0.235	12.882	19.882
Washington	17	2.059	0.412	0.706	0.706	0.176	0.412	0.235	16.000	24.706
Miami	17	0.471	0.294	0.000	0.176	0.000	0.118	0.059	4.294	5.882
Houston	19	2.053	0.842	0.579	0.632	0.000	0.579	0.211	20.000	19.211
Atlanta	17	1.706	0.588	0.706	0.412	0.000	0.294	0.118	15.471	16.765
Chicago	19	1.211	0.368	0.368	0.474	0.000	0.368	0.211	10.263	7.737
Detroit	17	0.882	0.353	0.059	0.294	0.118	0.235	0.059	6.235	8.412