What 1st Downs by Penalty (Off − Def) is

First downs the offense was handed by opponent penalties, minus the first downs this defense handed away by its own. Discipline on both sides, measured in gifts.

Higher is better. It is shown per game, so a team's number does not depend on games played. Source: P + N.

In 2022 the Cardinals led at 0; the league average was -0.04.

League snapshot — 2022

League leader

ARI · 0

League average

-0.04

Best to worst

1.29

All 32 teams, higher is better.

At a glance — 2022

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

ARI · 0

League laggard

LAR · -1.29

League average

-0.04

Spread (max − min)

1.29

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	ARI	0	0.04	100%
2	ATL	0	0.04	96.8%
3	BAL	0	0.04	93.5%
4	BUF	0	0.04	90.3%
5	CAR	0	0.04	87.1%
6	CHI	0	0.04	83.9%
7	CIN	0	0.04	80.6%
8	CLE	0	0.04	77.4%
9	DAL	0	0.04	74.2%
10	DEN	0	0.04	71%
11	DET	0	0.04	67.7%
12	GB	0	0.04	64.5%
13	HOU	0	0.04	61.3%
14	IND	0	0.04	58.1%
15	JAX	0	0.04	54.8%
16	KC	0	0.04	51.6%
17	LAC	0	0.04	48.4%
18	LV	0	0.04	45.2%
19	MIA	0	0.04	41.9%
20	MIN	0	0.04	38.7%
21	NE	0	0.04	35.5%
22	NO	0	0.04	32.3%
23	NYG	0	0.04	29%
24	NYJ	0	0.04	25.8%
25	PHI	0	0.04	22.6%
26	PIT	0	0.04	19.4%
27	SEA	0	0.04	16.1%
28	SF	0	0.04	12.9%
29	TB	0	0.04	9.7%
30	TEN	0	0.04	6.5%
31	WAS	0	0.04	3.2%
32	LAR	-1.29	-1.25	0%

Does 1st Downs by Penalty (Off − Def) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 792–786–37 ATS (50.2%) across 2020–2025, #268 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2022 (138–126, 52.3%); its worst 2021 (132–138, 48.9%).

For picks, this is noise. One stat is not a recipe — the algorithms combine many.

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	128–126–2	50.4%
2021	272	132–138–2	48.9%
2022	271	138–126–7	52.3%
2023	272	127–131–14	49.2%
2024	272	130–133–9	49.4%
2025	272	137–132–3	50.9%

1st Downs by Penalty (Off − Def) in 2022 vs 2021

Cardinals lead at 0 — they ranked #1 last year. Rams are last at -1.29 — #32 last year.

The league average is -0.04, the same as last year.

Biggest riser: 49ers, #31 → #28. Biggest faller: Buccaneers, #28 → #29.

Spread between first and last: 1.29; 31 teams are within 0.23 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2022 vs 2021

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

SF · +0.06

Biggest faller

ARI · −0.06

Most consistent

ATL · 0

League trend 2022 vs 2021

– 0

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

ARI · 0.02

Multi-year laggard

LAR · -1.56

Biggest improver

SF · +0.00/yr

Biggest decliner

LAR · −0.15/yr

Multi-year heatmap

32 teams across 7 seasons. Cells colored by quintile within each season; click a column header to jump to that year.

Team	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
ARI	0	0.06	0	0.06	0	0	0
ATL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BUF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CAR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CHI	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CIN	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CLE	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DAL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DEN	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DET	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
GB	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
HOU	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
IND	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
JAX	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
KC	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LV	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LAC	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
MIA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
MIN	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
NE	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
NO	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
NYG	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
NYJ	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
PHI	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
PIT	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SF	0	-0.06	0	0	0	0	0
SEA	0	0	0	-0.06	0	0	0
TB	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEN	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
WAS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LAR	-1.19	-1.29	-1.29	-1.65	-1.71	-1.41	-2.40

1st Downs by Penalty (Off − Def) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Cardinals (0), 2019 Cardinals (0), 2020 Cardinals (0), 2021 Cardinals (0.06), 2022 Cardinals (0).

Cardinals have led this stat 5 of 5 seasons.

The best season on record is Cardinals 2021 at 0.06; the worst Rams 2018 at -2.25.

The league average has risen from -0.07 in 2018 to -0.04 in 2022.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2022.

About this stat

Stat ID: net_pen_fd
Side: net
Family: NET (Off − Def)
Data source: P + N
Polarity: higher is better (or neutral)
Display grain: count
Algorithm eligibility: Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.