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 (308), Defensive Holding (165), Roughing the Passer (154), Face Mask (15 Yards) (53), Illegal Use of Hands (52), Illegal Contact (28), Taunting (26), Horse Collar Tackle (15), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (13), and Tripping (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	18	1.444	0.667	0.278	0.444	0.056	0.278	0.167	12.611	13.167
Houston	17	1.412	0.588	0.294	0.529	0.000	0.412	0.235	11.294	17.647
Pittsburgh	18	1.611	0.556	0.333	0.556	0.167	0.389	0.167	13.444	20.111
N.Y. Jets	17	1.294	0.353	0.588	0.294	0.059	0.176	0.176	12.647	18.882
Atlanta	17	1.824	0.529	0.588	0.647	0.059	0.412	0.059	14.059	19.529
Cincinnati	21	1.381	0.429	0.476	0.429	0.048	0.095	0.095	10.095	13.952
Arizona	18	1.278	0.278	0.333	0.667	0.000	0.444	0.222	11.333	16.778
Detroit	17	1.412	0.471	0.647	0.294	0.000	0.118	0.000	12.824	16.882
Indianapolis	17	1.588	0.471	0.647	0.471	0.000	0.412	0.176	15.353	23.118
Washington	17	1.471	0.588	0.471	0.412	0.000	0.235	0.000	12.235	16.471
LA Chargers	17	1.706	0.765	0.353	0.412	0.176	0.118	0.176	13.706	15.588
N.Y. Giants	17	1.647	0.529	0.294	0.706	0.118	0.353	0.176	12.765	13.588
Green Bay	18	1.556	0.778	0.167	0.556	0.056	0.278	0.056	12.278	17.000
Las Vegas	18	1.722	0.444	0.389	0.833	0.056	0.611	0.278	14.500	26.889
Miami	17	1.647	0.412	0.647	0.588	0.000	0.235	0.059	12.353	19.706
Chicago	17	1.706	0.588	0.647	0.412	0.059	0.294	0.294	18.000	21.588
Jacksonville	17	1.588	0.529	0.471	0.471	0.118	0.294	0.118	11.765	17.353
Denver	17	1.353	0.294	0.412	0.647	0.000	0.412	0.176	11.412	19.235
Philadelphia	18	0.889	0.444	0.278	0.111	0.056	0.111	0.111	8.056	12.444
San Francisco	20	1.300	0.350	0.400	0.550	0.000	0.350	0.100	10.200	14.200
Tampa Bay	19	1.368	0.684	0.368	0.211	0.105	0.053	0.053	9.947	15.684
Seattle	17	1.294	0.588	0.412	0.235	0.059	0.176	0.059	10.412	18.235
Carolina	17	1.118	0.294	0.471	0.235	0.118	0.235	0.176	10.647	12.118
Tennessee	18	1.444	0.444	0.500	0.444	0.056	0.333	0.111	11.111	18.889
Buffalo	19	1.053	0.368	0.368	0.263	0.053	0.211	0.105	9.895	11.000
New England	18	1.722	0.667	0.333	0.667	0.056	0.389	0.167	15.222	18.056
Minnesota	17	1.118	0.294	0.294	0.412	0.118	0.176	0.118	7.765	12.118
LA Rams	21	1.381	0.619	0.143	0.571	0.048	0.381	0.190	11.619	14.000
Cleveland	17	1.471	0.294	0.588	0.412	0.176	0.294	0.235	12.471	16.882
Kansas City	20	1.600	0.600	0.400	0.500	0.050	0.200	0.050	12.500	16.050
New Orleans	17	1.235	0.471	0.176	0.588	0.000	0.529	0.059	11.235	13.765
Baltimore	17	1.235	0.471	0.529	0.118	0.118	0.059	0.000	9.294	17.588