most penalty first downs by a team in a season nfl history minimum 16 games

The New England Patriots have gotten the most first downs on penalties by a team in a season when playing 16+ games, with 50 first downs in 2017.

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Regular season

	TEAM	PEN 1DWN	GP	SEASON	1DWN	PASS 1DWN	RUSH 1DWN	W	L	T	TD	PTS	PPG	OPP PTS	OPP PPG	3DWN%	4DWN%
1	Patriots	50	16	2017	389	232	107	13	3	0	49	458	28.6	296	18.5	40.6	61.5
2	Texans	47	16	2017	313	180	86	4	12	0	40	338	21.1	436	27.3	36.4	50.0
3	Colts	47	16	2004	379	238	94	12	4	0	66	522	32.6	351	21.9	42.7	57.1
4	Bills	47	16	2002	355	218	90	8	8	0	44	379	23.7	397	24.8	42.5	58.3
5	Giants	46	17	2025	347	160	141	4	13	0	45	381	22.4	439	25.8	40.2	46.2
6	Chiefs	46	16	2019	350	211	93	12	4	0	50	451	28.2	308	19.3	47.6	60.0
7	Bears	46	16	2018	331	177	108	12	4	0	50	421	26.3	283	17.7	41.0	60.0
8	Giants	46	16	2015	331	208	77	6	10	0	47	420	26.3	442	27.6	37.8	56.3
9	Vikings	45	17	2022	382	244	93	13	4	0	50	424	24.9	427	25.1	41.2	47.4
10	Eagles	45	16	2020	336	177	114	4	11	1	42	334	20.9	418	26.1	37.3	42.9
11	49ers	45	16	2018	344	201	98	4	12	0	35	342	21.4	435	27.2	37.8	50.0
12	Cowboys	44	17	2025	393	229	120	7	9	1	51	471	27.7	511	30.1	41.1	62.9
13	Buccaneers	44	16	2020	364	238	82	11	5	0	59	492	30.8	355	22.2	43.5	57.1
14	Colts	44	16	2019	340	165	131	7	9	0	42	361	22.6	373	23.3	41.5	58.3
15	Cardinals	44	16	2017	310	200	66	8	8	0	29	295	18.4	361	22.6	35.2	43.8
16	Cardinals	44	16	2015	373	237	92	13	3	0	58	489	30.6	313	19.6	47.0	44.4
17	Packers	44	16	2015	317	173	100	10	6	0	42	368	23.0	323	20.2	33.7	52.4
18	Cardinals	44	16	2014	302	191	67	11	5	0	32	310	19.4	299	18.7	40.2	75.0
19	Redskins	44	16	2014	318	186	88	4	12	0	33	301	18.8	438	27.4	31.5	25.0
20	Cowboys	44	16	2005	318	177	97	9	7	0	38	325	20.3	308	19.3	40.5	53.8
21	Buccaneers	43	17	2025	332	174	115	8	9	0	41	380	22.4	411	24.2	41.2	44.8
22	Vikings	43	17	2024	353	210	100	14	3	0	47	432	25.4	332	19.5	40.0	46.2
23	Cowboys	43	17	2023	385	229	113	12	5	0	57	509	29.9	315	18.5	48.3	56.5
24	Steelers	43	16	2019	265	147	75	8	8	0	29	289	18.1	303	18.9	34.4	13.3
25	Buccaneers	43	16	2018	388	265	80	5	11	0	49	396	24.8	464	29.0	46.0	69.2

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StatMuse has team, season-level data for first-down penalties going back to the 1941 season.

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More Patriots Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

585

Maye

RUSH

116

Stevenson

REC

156

Hollins

Team Rankings

PPG

12.0

31st

OPP PPG

17.0

6th

RUSH YDS/G

109.3

14th

PASS YDS/G

210.3

20th

2026 Division Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT
Bills	3	0	1.000
Patriots	1	2	.333
Jets	1	2	.333
Dolphins	0	3	.000

Schedule

DATE	MATCHUP			TIME (ET)
Sun 10/4	NE	@	BUF	1:00 PM
Sun 10/11	LV	@	NE	1:00 PM
Sun 10/18	NYJ	@	NE	1:00 PM
Thu 10/22	NE	@	CHI	8:15 PM
Sun 11/1	NE	@	MIA	4:25 PM

Last Game

Patriots

1 - 2

Final

Jaguars

2 - 1

Sun 27 Sep 2026

NFL 2026 Leaders

Pass Yards Leaders

939

Young

917

Shough

872

Stafford

Rush Yards Leaders

360

Walker

349

Robinson

346

Cook

Rec Yards Leaders

405

Smith-Njigba

375

Olave

358

Adams

Pass TD Leaders

9

Purdy

9

Cousins

8

Shough

Rush TD Leaders

6

Allen

6

Henry

4

Gibbs

Rec TD Leaders

6

Smith-Njigba

5

St. Brown

4

Watson

QB Rating Leaders

133.1

Purdy

127.3

Lock

116.1

Goff

Sack Leaders

6.0

Rousseau

4.0

Anderson

4.0

Graham

NFL 2026 Rankings

PPG Rankings

33.7

32.7

31.0

30.7

29.7

Opp PPG Rankings

12.0

13.7

16.7

17.0

Total Yards Rankings

424.5

417.7

416.3

401.7

399.3

398.7

Rush Yards Rankings

212.5

173.0

167.3

155.0

153.3

136.3

Pass Yards Rankings

313.0

305.7

295.0

281.3

276.0

270.7

Sack Leaders

14.0

12.0

11.0

10.0

9.0

NFL Fantasy 2026

Fantasy RB Rankings

80.3

Gibbs

69.9

Henry

68.2

Walker

Fantasy WR Rankings

77.1

Smith-Njigba

52.8

St. Brown

52.4

Watson

Fantasy TE Rankings

35.4

Kittle

35.1

Kelce

33.3

Johnson

Fantasy K Rankings

42

McPherson

39

McLaughlin

38

Shrader

NFL 2026 Betting

Best Record ATS

3-0

2-0-1

2-1

Worst Record ATS

0-3

0-2

0-3

NFL 2026 Standings

NFC East	W	L	T	PCT
Eagles	2	0	0	1.000
Giants	2	1	0	.667
Cowboys	1	2	0	.333
Commanders	1	2	0	.333
NFC North	W	L	T	PCT
Vikings	3	0	0	1.000
Lions	2	1	0	.667
Bears	1	1	0	.500
Packers	1	2	0	.333
NFC South	W	L	T	PCT
Panthers	1	2	0	.333
Saints	1	2	0	.333
Falcons	1	2	0	.333
Buccaneers	0	3	0	.000
NFC West	W	L	T	PCT
49ers	3	0	0	1.000
Seahawks	2	1	0	.667
Rams	1	2	0	.333
Cardinals	1	2	0	.333

AFC East	W	L	T	PCT
Bills	3	0	0	1.000
Jets	1	2	0	.333
Patriots	1	2	0	.333
Dolphins	0	3	0	.000
AFC North	W	L	T	PCT
Steelers	2	1	0	.667
Ravens	2	1	0	.667
Browns	2	1	0	.667
Bengals	2	1	0	.667
AFC South	W	L	T	PCT
Jaguars	2	1	0	.667
Colts	1	2	0	.333
Titans	0	3	0	.000
Texans	0	3	0	.000
AFC West	W	L	T	PCT
Chiefs	3	0	0	1.000
Raiders	3	0	0	1.000
Broncos	2	1	0	.667
Chargers	0	3	0	.000