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 Holding (226), Defensive Pass Interference (215), Illegal Contact (106), Illegal Use of Hands (104), Roughing the Passer (99), Face Mask (15 Yards) (59), Personal Foul (31), and Tripping (5)

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
Seattle	19	1.579	0.421	0.579	0.579	0.000	0.316	0.158	12.526	16.842
New Orleans	16	1.563	0.500	0.313	0.688	0.063	0.500	0.250	13.250	15.875
Atlanta	16	1.438	0.563	0.438	0.313	0.063	0.188	0.063	12.813	14.438
Cincinnati	17	1.647	0.529	0.471	0.588	0.000	0.353	0.294	14.059	13.824
Buffalo	16	1.938	0.813	0.688	0.375	0.063	0.313	0.125	17.938	19.500
N.Y. Jets	16	1.438	0.625	0.375	0.375	0.063	0.313	0.250	13.563	15.563
Dallas	18	1.889	0.667	0.667	0.333	0.167	0.278	0.056	13.833	15.722
Denver	17	1.882	0.471	0.588	0.765	0.000	0.412	0.118	15.235	17.471
Detroit	17	2.176	0.647	0.824	0.706	0.000	0.353	0.059	19.765	18.824
San Diego	16	2.313	0.625	0.688	1.000	0.000	0.688	0.313	20.188	25.000
Pittsburgh	17	1.765	0.647	0.647	0.471	0.000	0.118	0.059	14.706	17.118
Minnesota	16	1.625	0.750	0.438	0.438	0.000	0.250	0.063	14.250	15.313
New England	19	2.474	1.053	0.632	0.789	0.000	0.579	0.263	22.789	23.526
Arizona	17	1.706	0.588	0.588	0.529	0.000	0.353	0.235	15.647	14.824
Tennessee	16	1.250	0.500	0.188	0.563	0.000	0.313	0.063	9.625	14.063
Jacksonville	16	1.063	0.625	0.063	0.375	0.000	0.250	0.125	10.125	9.125
Kansas City	16	1.000	0.438	0.063	0.500	0.000	0.250	0.125	8.375	10.125
Oakland	16	1.813	0.563	0.438	0.750	0.063	0.375	0.125	14.125	18.625
Houston	16	2.000	0.563	1.063	0.375	0.000	0.313	0.250	19.438	21.063
Indianapolis	19	1.421	0.632	0.421	0.368	0.000	0.053	0.053	10.053	15.579
Baltimore	18	1.167	0.556	0.111	0.500	0.000	0.167	0.000	8.556	10.222
Cleveland	16	2.000	0.688	0.875	0.375	0.063	0.313	0.188	17.813	18.875
Green Bay	18	1.389	0.333	0.444	0.500	0.056	0.222	0.111	10.222	12.611
N.Y. Giants	16	1.313	0.688	0.500	0.125	0.000	0.063	0.063	12.938	15.313
Washington	16	1.813	0.813	0.313	0.688	0.000	0.250	0.125	14.500	24.438
St. Louis	16	1.188	0.188	0.313	0.688	0.000	0.188	0.063	8.000	16.500
San Francisco	16	1.875	0.563	0.500	0.813	0.000	0.625	0.188	16.625	13.750
Carolina	18	0.944	0.222	0.333	0.389	0.000	0.389	0.222	8.556	12.333
Chicago	16	0.875	0.250	0.313	0.313	0.000	0.188	0.125	7.063	14.375
Tampa Bay	16	1.375	0.500	0.438	0.375	0.063	0.250	0.125	12.000	8.938
Philadelphia	16	1.875	0.625	0.438	0.750	0.063	0.500	0.313	18.125	20.625
Miami	16	0.750	0.375	0.250	0.000	0.063	0.000	0.000	6.000	9.563