The Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals exchanged opening-drive touchdowns Sunday and were tied 7-7 in the first quarter at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid's second regular-season NFL game in as many years.

Michael Penix Jr. opened the scoring with a 1-yard pass to Charlie Woerner, who caught his first career touchdown. Joe Burrow responded by finding Ja'Marr Chase for a 47-yard touchdown.

Cincinnati could draw level with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North with a win, before their prime-time Week 10 meeting. Atlanta came in at 3-5 but was still in contention in the NFC South, where every team entered the week below .500.

A victory would put Cincinnati at 6-2, its best start since 2015, when the team began 8-0.

Khalil Herbert returned the opening kickoff for Atlanta, with a penalty called on the return, before the Falcons went 80 yards in seven plays.

Bijan Robinson gained 42 yards on three carries during that possession, breaking one for 21 yards. Penix connected on each of his three throws.

Cincinnati committed two penalties during Atlanta's scoring drive, NBC Sports reported.

The Bengals needed five plays to travel 75 yards for their reply. Burrow went 3 of 4 for 59 yards on the possession.

BURROW. JA'MARR. TOUCHDOWN.

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The teams were level at 7-7 with 8:49 remaining in the first quarter. On Atlanta's ensuing possession, a Cincinnati penalty on third down preceded a 23-yard Penix scramble into Bengals territory.

Before kickoff, Burrow bypassed the designated player route from near the 50-yard line. He went through Atlanta's bench area and under a barrier to get to Cincinnati's locker room.

"There's a path for players to get on and off the field at Bernabeu. Joe Burrow does not do paths," John Breech wrote on X.

Cincinnati arrived with a 5-2 record and three consecutive victories. In the previous week's overtime win over the Tennessee Titans, Burrow threw six touchdown passes and three interceptions.

The Sporting News reported that the Bengals amassed 99 points over those three victories, while their defense allowed a season-worst 36 points to Tennessee.

NBC Sports and USA Today's Bengals Wire described a recent pattern of Cincinnati falling behind in first quarters before recovering to win.

Earlier this season, Atlanta won at Lambeau against the Green Bay Packers and gave the San Francisco 49ers their only defeat to date. The Falcons nevertheless entered Sunday having dropped three of their past four games.

Their latest defeat was a rain-soaked 16-0 shutout at Tampa Bay the previous Sunday, when the Buccaneers completed no passes and Penix threw four interceptions. CBS Sports reported that Atlanta became the first team since 1974 to lose when the opposing quarterback completed no passes.

Burrow came into the game atop the NFL in completion percentage and passing yards per game, as well as touchdown passes with 20. Robinson led the league with 780 rushing yards.

Atlanta receiver Zachariah Branch was inactive because of a hamstring injury. Cincinnati safety Kyle Dugger was ruled out with a quad injury, USA Today's Falcons Wire reported.

Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was questionable because of a back injury. Pearce served an eight-game suspension to begin the season for violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy, according to the Falcons Wire.

CBS Sports reported that Pearce appeared likely to make his season debut in Madrid.