Super Bowl 59: A.J. Brown called for controversial pass interference penalty

The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to convert a key fourth-and-2 on their first drive of Super Bowl 59 when Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown for a 28-yard completion.

However, a controversial offensive pass interference penalty wiped out the gain and forced the Eagles to punt the ball.

Brown was flagged for making contact with Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie before he brought in the catch. Brown appeared to catch McDuffie with a glancing blow to the helmet, but the contact was slight.

Fox's broadcast of the game was immediately critical of the call, as long-time NFL quarterback Tom Brady noted that Brown had made minimal contact with McDuffie before going to the ground.

SUPER BOWL 59 LIVE UPDATES: Chiefs vs Eagles score, highlights, how to watch

Rules analyst Mike Pereira, an NFL official for 15 years, agreed with Brady's assessment. He did not believe the contact warranted a penalty.

"I think it's one that did not need to be called," Pereira said.

The NFL spent a good chunk of the weeks leading up to Super Bowl 59 pushing back against conspiracies that there was an officiating bias in favor of the Chiefs. The early call from Ron Torbert will bring those back to the forefront for the rest of the game.

Following their punt, the Eagles were able to stop the Chiefs, so Philadelphia dodged any lasting damage from that momentum swing.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Super Bowl 59: Eagles' A.J. Brown called for controversial penalty