Joe Burrow kicked off an outstanding season for the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday with a career-high 36 touchdown passes.

His 37th was one of his best of the season.

Burrow threw a touchdown to Tee Higgins in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns when he fell to the ground. He tripped over center Ted Karras as the pocket collapsed on first-and-goal and seemed destined to go to the ground to force the second down.

But he found Higgins and released the ball just in time. Higgins caught the ball in the end zone to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead.

Burrow’s knees touched the turf before he threw the ball and the referees reviewed the play. But it didn’t matter. He tripped over a teammate and was not touched by a defender on the way to the ground and would not have fallen to the ground.

The officials confirmed the touchdown to give the Bengals an early lead.

If the Bengals were competitive, Burrow is in the midst of an MVP campaign. He entered Sunday with a 68.5% passing percentage and an NFL-best 284.1 yards per game with 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

His 37th touchdown pass to Higgins tied him for the NFL lead with Lamar Jackson. His 38th second-quarter strike against Andrei Iosivas extended Cincinnati’s lead to 14-0 and gave Burrow the league’s passing touchdown lead of his own. The Bengals won 24-6.

Thanks to a porous defense, the Bengals have a 7-8 lead and a long way to make the playoffs. But Burrow continues to have one of the best seasons of his career.