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 (314), Defensive Holding (175), Roughing the Passer (127), Illegal Contact (59), Face Mask (15 Yards) (53), Illegal Use of Hands (31), Lowering the Head to Initiate Contact (31), 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
Houston	16	1.250	0.125	0.438	0.563	0.125	0.313	0.063	7.313	12.438
Atlanta	16	1.625	0.750	0.375	0.500	0.000	0.188	0.063	12.125	17.000
Seattle	17	0.882	0.529	0.118	0.235	0.000	0.176	0.059	8.059	8.000
N.Y. Jets	16	2.375	0.625	0.688	0.938	0.125	0.563	0.250	19.438	29.000
Buffalo	19	1.211	0.263	0.526	0.368	0.053	0.263	0.053	9.105	14.474
New England	16	1.125	0.500	0.125	0.375	0.125	0.250	0.188	9.875	12.813
Baltimore	18	1.944	1.056	0.333	0.500	0.056	0.333	0.111	16.000	25.556
Chicago	17	1.765	0.647	0.706	0.353	0.059	0.059	0.000	14.941	20.176
Jacksonville	16	2.313	0.750	0.813	0.688	0.063	0.500	0.188	18.688	33.813
Indianapolis	17	1.353	0.353	0.588	0.353	0.059	0.176	0.118	10.529	18.059
New Orleans	18	2.333	0.944	0.833	0.500	0.056	0.278	0.056	18.111	28.889
Tampa Bay	20	1.250	0.250	0.400	0.550	0.050	0.350	0.200	10.750	14.400
San Francisco	16	1.625	0.438	0.688	0.500	0.000	0.313	0.250	15.875	16.063
Arizona	16	2.000	0.438	1.125	0.438	0.000	0.250	0.125	16.875	20.688
Carolina	16	1.813	0.625	0.375	0.813	0.000	0.438	0.063	13.250	15.313
Las Vegas	16	2.125	0.938	0.313	0.750	0.063	0.500	0.188	18.063	22.188
LA Rams	18	0.833	0.222	0.222	0.333	0.056	0.222	0.111	6.278	12.944
Pittsburgh	17	1.000	0.118	0.353	0.353	0.176	0.118	0.118	6.000	11.412
Denver	16	0.875	0.250	0.313	0.313	0.000	0.063	0.000	6.188	11.313
Dallas	16	1.875	0.750	0.375	0.688	0.000	0.375	0.188	16.688	21.625
Miami	16	1.438	0.500	0.563	0.375	0.000	0.313	0.188	13.313	15.750
Philadelphia	16	1.188	0.438	0.438	0.313	0.000	0.188	0.125	10.250	15.875
Cincinnati	16	1.000	0.500	0.375	0.063	0.063	0.063	0.000	8.625	11.125
Detroit	16	1.625	0.563	0.375	0.563	0.125	0.500	0.125	13.250	19.063
Minnesota	16	1.063	0.500	0.313	0.250	0.000	0.188	0.063	9.750	10.625
Kansas City	19	2.158	0.632	0.842	0.684	0.000	0.368	0.263	17.474	23.263
Washington	17	1.118	0.353	0.294	0.471	0.000	0.294	0.118	9.235	13.824
Tennessee	17	1.353	0.765	0.176	0.353	0.059	0.176	0.118	11.059	16.176
Green Bay	18	1.444	0.500	0.222	0.611	0.056	0.389	0.111	12.222	13.611
N.Y. Giants	16	1.125	0.500	0.188	0.438	0.000	0.313	0.188	11.000	10.938
Cleveland	18	0.889	0.389	0.278	0.111	0.111	0.111	0.111	7.667	11.556
LA Chargers	16	1.125	0.188	0.375	0.500	0.063	0.188	0.063	8.438	12.125