In the waning seconds of the second quarter Sunday vs. the Bengals, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski engineered a clock miscue that rings louder than church bells at 9 a.m. when you’re hungover.

The Bengals’ unsuccessful third-down play concluded with 42 seconds remaining; an NFL play clock is 40 seconds. Cincinnati was clearly within Joe Burrow’s range to throw it beyond the goal line.

So why would a person expect that his opponent wouldn’t try to score on the final play of the half? Even if the chances of completing a long-ranger are slim, why wouldn’t a head coach extinguish the opportunity for the other team to try?

A field goal attempt from the plus-41 is lengthy, so maybe he figured the Bengals wouldn’t try that because he’s unfamiliar with Cincinnati’s kicker, Cade York. Does Stefanski know him?

York was drafted by the Browns in Round 4 of the 2022 draft and was with the organization for more than a year. He didn’t perform as well as desired, and heading into last season York was given the boot.

But it was York’s 58-yard boot as time expired that gave Cleveland a 26-24 victory over the Panthers in Baker Mayfield’s first game with Carolina to start the 2022 season. So it seems unlikely that Stefanski doesn’t know York’s capability.

But he offered the kicker, who was signed by the Bengals earlier in the month, a golden opportunity to make him look foolish. That, and Stefanski’s future, will be covered as we move to Part 6.

—@PoisonPill4