BEREA — The Browns basically are playing for personal pride among their players and a bit of a glance toward the future with a new starting quarterback. The Cincinnati Bengals still have a slight playoff chance to keep fighting for, despite a losing record.

Still, two teams with losing records will meet Sunday on the banks of the Ohio River for the latest installment of the Battle of Ohio. At 3-11, Cleveland is, barring a season-ending three-game win streak, virtually assured of its worst record since going winless in 2017.

Cincinnati, at 6-8, currently sits 10th in the AFC playoff standings, with two other 6-8 teams — the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts — between them and the No. 7 seed, which is the Los Angeles Chargers. NFL.com had the Bengals’ playoff chances at 6% this week.

A Browns win would almost assuredly end the Bengals’ hopes, even if it wouldn’t necessarily do so mathematically. A Cincinnati win would, well, assure Cleveland the most losses in a season it’s had since 2017.

So, with all of that laid out, here’s three big questions for the Browns going into their rematch against the Bengals?

What can Dorian Thompson-Robinson do at QB with a full week’s worth of prep?

The only real justification head coach Kevin Stefanski gave, at least publicly, for going from Jameis Winston to Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the starting quarterback was to “give him an opportunity and give him an entire week to prepare as a starter.” Of course, Winston’s eight interceptions in the last three games certainly had to have something to do with that as well, but he’s avoiding that answer.

Thompson-Robinson was elevated to the backup role for the first meeting between the two, although it occurred late in the week. Regardless, he was thrown into the game with less than two minutes remaining in the first half when Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles.

It didn’t go well for Thompson-Robinson, who completed just 11 of 24 passes for 82 yards, with two picks and a 19.8 passer rating. He also suffered a finger injury that opened the door for Winston to finish the game, and, ultimately, start the past seven games.

Thompson-Robinson didn’t look terrible a year ago when he started a win over the Steelers and a loss to the Broncos in which he was knocked out of late in the third quarter. Maybe a week’s worth of practice will help, or, at least, allow him to find some rhythm with his No. 1 target.

Can Dorian Thompson-Robinson get a connection with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy?

The last time the Browns and Bengals played, television cameras caught wide receiver Jerry Jeudy throwing his helmet on the bench after Thompson-Robinson failed to connect on a third-down pass in the third quarter. The QB missed by several feet over Jeudy’s head, as the ball sailed into the Browns’ bench.

Jeudy only had one target in that game until the final drive, when Winston targeted him four times with one completion. That was a precursor to what the next seven games would have in store for that connection, with Winston targeting Jeudy 65 times, resulting in 47 catches, 769 yards and three touchdowns.

Thompson-Robinson did throw four passes Jeudy’s way over the two possessions in last Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Two of those were completed for 17 yards.

A big mission this week in practice has to be getting those two on the same page. If Thompson-Robinson can’t connect with Jeudy consistently, then there’s no shot at this quarterback change working out.

Can Cleveland Browns’ young cornerbacks hold up against Cincinnati Bengals’ offense?

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward has played at an All-Pro level this season. The ultimate sign of that came two weeks ago, when the Steelers did not target him one time in four quarters.

Ward, certainly, will find a way to be matched up with Cincinnati All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase as much as possible. However, the Bengals do a great job of moving Chase around to maximize their matchups, something that’s going to favor them going into Sunday due to injury issues among Cleveland’s cornerbacks.

Greg Newsome II is out for the season due to a hamstring injury, while Martin Emerson Jr. is currently in concussion protocol after leaving the Chiefs game. That essentially leaves second-year pro Cameron Mitchell and rookie Myles Harden, with possible help from either Mike Ford Jr., another rookie, Chigozie Anusiem or even potential practice-squad call-up Kahlef Hailassie.

Those players, whatever combination of them get used, will have their hands full with a Bengals’ passing offense that goes beyond the obviously elite Chase. Quarterback Joe Burrow is the league’s leading passer with 3,977 yards and 36 touchdowns, and not all of those are going to Chase (1,413 yards, 15 TDs).

Chase, Tee Higgins or Andrei Iosivas — or even someone else — all are capable of making the Browns’ afternoon miserable. That level of misery very well could depend on how well those younger cornerbacks play.