FIRST DOWNS

Most Seasons Leading League

9

Chicago Bears, 1935, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1945, 1947-49, 1955

7

San Diego, 1965, 1969, 1980-83, 1985

6

L.A. Rams, 1946, 1950-51, 1954, 1957, 1973
San Francisco, 1965, 1987, 1989, 1993-94, 1998

Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League

4

San Diego, 1980-83

3

Chicago Bears, 1947-49

2

By many teams

Most First Downs, Season

387

Miami, 1984

381

San Francisco, 1998

380

San Diego, 1985

Fewest First Downs, Season

51

Cincinnati, 1933

64

Pittsburgh, 1935

67

Philadelphia, 1937

Most First Downs, Game

39

N.Y. Jets vs. Miami, Nov. 27, 1988
Washington vs. Detroit, Nov. 4, 1990 (OT)

38

Los Angeles vs. N.Y. Giants, Nov. 13, 1966

37

Green Bay vs. Philadelphia, Nov. 11, 1962

Fewest First Downs, Game

0

N.Y. Giants vs. Green Bay, Oct. 1, 1933
Pittsburgh vs. Boston, Oct. 29, 1933
Philadelphia vs. Detroit, Sept. 20, 1935
N.Y. Giants vs. Washington, Sept. 27, 1942
Denver vs. Houston, Sept. 3, 1966

Most First Downs, Both Teams, Game

62

San Diego (32) vs. Seattle (30), Sept. 15, 1985

59

Miami (31) vs. Buffalo (28), Oct. 9, 1983 (OT)
Seattle (33) vs. Kansas City (26), Nov. 27, 1983 (OT)
N.Y. Jets (32) vs. Miami (27), Sept. 21, 1986 (OT)
N.Y. Jets (39) vs. Miami (20), Nov. 27, 1988

58

Los Angeles (30) vs. Chicago Bears (28), Oct. 24, 1954
Denver (34) vs. Kansas City (24), Nov. 18, 1974
Atlanta (35) vs. New Orleans (23), Sept. 2, 1979 (OT)
Pittsburgh (36) vs. Cleveland (22), Nov. 25, 1979 (OT)
San Diego (34) vs. Miami (24), Nov. 18, 1984 (OT)
Cincinnati (32) vs. San Diego (26), Sept. 22, 1985

Fewest First Downs, Both Teams, Game

7

Chicago Cardinals (2) vs. Detroit (5), Sept. 15, 1940

9

Pittsburgh (1) vs. Boston (8), Oct. 27, 1935
Boston (4) vs. Brooklyn (5), Nov. 24, 1935
N.Y. Giants (3) vs. Detroit (6), Nov. 7, 1943
Pittsburgh (4) vs. Chicago Cardinals (5), Nov. 11, 1945
N.Y. Bulldogs (1) vs. Philadelphia (8), Sept. 22, 1949

10

N.Y. Giants (4) vs. Washington (6), Dec. 11, 1960

Most First Downs, Rushing, Season

181

New England, 1978

177

Los Angeles, 1973

176

Chicago, 1985

Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Season

36

Cleveland, 1942
Boston, 1944

39

Brooklyn, 1943

40

Philadelphia, 1940
Detroit, 1945

Most First Downs, Rushing, Game

25

Philadelphia vs. Washington, Dec. 2, 1951

23

St. Louis vs. New Orleans, Oct. 5, 1980

21

Cleveland vs. Philadelphia, Dec. 13, 1959
Green Bay vs. Philadelphia, Nov. 11, 1962
Los Angeles vs. New Orleans, Nov. 25, 1973
Pittsburgh vs. Kansas City, Nov. 7, 1976
New England vs. Denver, Nov. 28, 1976
Oakland vs. Green Bay, Sept. 17, 1978
Buffalo vs. Washington, Nov. 3, 1996
San Francisco vs. Detroit, Dec. 14, 1998

Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Game

0

By many teams. Last time: Washington vs. N.Y. Giants, Dec. 13, 1997

Most First Downs, Rushing, Both Teams, Game

36

Philadelphia (25) vs. Washington (11), Dec. 2, 1951

31

Detroit (18) vs. Washington (13), Sept. 30, 1951

30

Los Angeles (17) vs. Minnesota (13), Nov. 5, 1961
New Orleans (17) vs. Green Bay (13), Sept. 9, 1979
New Orleans (16) vs. San Francisco (14), Nov. 11, 1979
New England (16) vs. Kansas City (14), Oct. 4, 1981

Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Both Teams, Game

2

Houston (0) vs. Denver (2), Dec. 2, 1962
N.Y. Jets, (1) vs. St. Louis (1), Dec. 3, 1995

3

Philadelphia (1) vs. Pittsburgh (2), Oct. 27, 1957
Boston (1) vs. Buffalo (2), Nov. 15, 1964
Los Angeles (0) vs. San Francisco (3), Dec. 6, 1964
Pittsburgh (1) vs. St. Louis (2), Nov. 13, 1966
Seattle (1) vs. New Orleans (2), Sept. 1, 1991
New Orleans (0) vs. N.Y. Jets (3), Dec. 24, 1995
Philadelphia (1) vs. Carolina (2), Oct. 27, 1996
San Diego (1) vs. New Orleans (2), Sept. 7, 1997 New Orleans (1) vs. Tampa Bay (2), Oct, 25, 1998
New England (1) vs. Miami (2), Oct. 25, 1998 (OT)
Miami (1) vs. New England (2), Nov. 23, 1998

4

In many games

Most First Downs, Passing, Season

259

San Diego, 1985

251

Houston, 1990

250

Miami, 1986

Fewest First Downs, Passing, Season

18

Pittsburgh, 1941

23

Brooklyn, 1942
N.Y. Giants, 1944

24

N.Y. Giants, 1943

Most First Downs, Passing, Game

29

N.Y. Giants vs. Cincinnati, Oct. 13, 1985

27

San Diego vs. Seattle, Sept. 15, 1985

26

Miami vs. Cleveland, Dec. 12, 1988

Fewest First Downs, Passing, Game

0

By many teams. Last time: San Diego vs. Kansas City, Sept. 20, 1998

Most First Downs, Passing, Both Teams, Game

43

San Diego (23) vs. Cincinnati (20), Dec. 20, 1982
Miami (24) vs. N.Y. Jets (19), Sept. 21, 1986 (OT)

42

San Francisco (22) vs. San Diego (20), Dec. 11, 1982

41

San Diego (27) vs. Seattle (14), Sept. 15, 1985
Miami (26) vs. Cleveland (15), Dec. 12, 1988

Fewest First Downs, Passing, Both Teams, Game

0

Brooklyn vs. Pittsburgh, Nov. 29, 1942

1

Green Bay (0) vs. Cleveland (1), Sept. 21, 1941
Pittsburgh (0) vs. Brooklyn (1), Oct. 11, 1942
N.Y. Giants (0) vs. Detroit (1), Nov. 7, 1943
Pittsburgh (0) vs. Chicago Cardinals (1), Nov. 11, 1945
N.Y. Bulldogs (0) vs. Philadelphia (1), Sept. 22, 1949
Chicago (0) vs. Buffalo (1), Oct. 7, 1979

2

In many games

Most First Downs, Penalty, Season

43

Denver, 1994

42

Chicago, 1987

41

Denver, 1986

Fewest First Downs, Penalty, Season

2

Brooklyn, 1940

4

Chicago Cardinals, 1940
N.Y. Giants, 1942, 1944
Washington, 1944
Cleveland, 1952
Kansas City, 1969

5

Brooklyn, 1939
Chicago Bears, 1939
Detroit, 1953
Los Angeles, 1953
Houston, 1982

Most First Downs, Penalty, Game

11

Denver vs. Houston, Oct. 6, 1985

9

Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland, Nov. 25, 1951
Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh, Oct. 30, 1977
N.Y. Jets vs. Houston, Sept. 18, 1988

8

Philadelphia vs. Detroit, Dec. 2, 1979
Cincinnati vs. N.Y. Jets, Oct. 6, 1985
Buffalo vs. Houston, Sept. 20, 1987
Houston vs. Atlanta, Sept. 9, 1990
Kansas City vs. L.A. Raiders, Oct. 3, 1993
San Francisco vs. New Orleans, Oct. 11, 1998

Most First Downs, Penalty, Both Teams, Game

12

Buffalo (7) vs. San Francisco (5), Oct. 4, 1998

11

Chicago Bears (9) vs. Cleveland (2), Nov. 25, 1951
Cincinnati (8) vs. N.Y. Jets (3), Oct. 6, 1985
Denver (11) vs. Houston (0), Oct. 6, 1985
Detroit (6) vs. Dallas (5), Nov. 8, 1987
N.Y. Jets (9) vs. Houston (2), Sept. 18, 1988
Kansas City (8) vs. L.A. Raiders (3), Oct. 3, 1993
Detroit (6) vs. San Diego (5), Nov. 11, 1996

10

In many games