"There is somewhat of a timeline," Palmer said Thursday. "I don't want to wait too long. Within the next couple weeks I'll know. I don't want to wait until April, May and miss out on what's going to be going on. Within the next couple weeks, we should know. I'll have another MRI, and we'll check it out."

Palmer originally injured the elbow when his arm was grabbed as he was throwing a pass against the New York Giants Sept. 21. He has not played since an Oct. 5 game against Dallas.

"I could tell in the first quarter of the Dallas game that something wasn't right," Palmer said. "I've been throwing a football since I was four. When something doesn't feel right, you know. Something unusual is going on in your arm. I knew it right away."

Since then, Palmer has been slowly recuperating. He said Thursday that he has increased his throwing regimen to four times per week and can throw beyond 55 yards. When he's feels 90 to 100 percent strong, which he anticipates next week, he hopes to throw into the 70-yard range in terms of distance.

Ideally, Palmer said, he will be able to throw crisp timing routes to receivers next week. Such practice sessions could be crucial in helping him decide about surgery, which he would rather avoid if possible.

"I think I should be able to know just throwing routes to receivers," Palmer said, "and asking them, 'Do you feel like the ball is getting there quick? Does it feel like it's hanging in the air a little long?'"

He has so far trusted the Bengals medical and training staff during his rehabilitation period, and that everything they have told him about regaining his strength has proved to be accurate. Of the five doctors from whom Palmer solicited medical opinions, the majority told him not to have the surgery. But it will be hard for Palmer to make a final decision on that matter until he can throw with more velocity.

--Only in Ohio would the battle to stay out of last place in the AFC North division matter.

The Bengals, despite a horrific 2-11-1 record, are attempting to win their last three games and overtake the Cleveland Browns for third place in the division. The Browns are 4-10 heading into the return visit in the "Battle of Ohio" series Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Bengals have not allowed a Cleveland sweep in the "Battle of Ohio" since 2002, the year before Marvin Lewis arrived as Bengals coach. Coming off their 20-13 upset of playoff contending Washington last Sunday, coupled with the Browns loss Monday night at Philadelphia, the Bengals are looking to make up some ground. If Cincinnati wins this week, then gets a win over Kansas City and a Pittsburgh win over Cleveland, the Bengals will take third place by a half-game.

After the win over Washington, a reporter reminded Lewis of his Dec. 7 statement that the Bengals would win their last three games. Lewis had made the statement on the heels of a lopsided 35-3 loss at Indianapolis, and the reporter conceded to Lewis media had been skeptical, at best, of the Bengals' chance to win even the first leg of the final three.

"Well, I don't pay that much attention to what people think, except for the guys in our locker room," Lewis said. "Inside that room, the belief has been there. Our guys have been working their tails off, and now they get to feel good for a bit, and then we play the Browns. We've just got to keep doing what we've been doing, keep coaching the guys to make plays."

Entering the Washington game, the Bengals offense had scored only 27 first-quarter points in 13 games. But against the Redskins, the Bengals jumped ahead 14-0 with 3:10 still to play in the period. Safety Chris Crocker and cornerback David Jones forced and recovered a Washington fumble to set up the first touchdown. And tailback Cedric Benson went 79 yards on a screen pass as the key play in a 94-yard drive for the second touchdown.

"It just goes to show -- get a lead, get a win," Benson said. "We did the same thing against Jacksonville."

The Bengals defense played a strong game, limiting Washington to just 13 points and 280 total yards. The big plays came on a goal-line stand on which linebacker Corey Mays forced and recovered a Redskins fumble in the end zone for a touchback.

"I feel good about the finish, being able to stop them in the end," Lewis said. "Now we're going to work really hard to finish this season off."

The Browns won 20-12 in Cincinnati on Sept. 28, but that was the first Bengals start for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was not well prepared. It was not known until late in the week that starter Carson Palmer had an elbow injury. Palmer has started just once since the Cleveland game, and that came Oct. 5 at Dallas.

"The Browns will be tough at home, but we're ready to extend this into a winning streak," Fitzpatrick said after the Washington game. "This (Redskins) was one of the first times we've really played as a team. We (the offense and defense) fed off each other with the turnovers and the early scoring."

SERIES HISTORY: 71st regular-season meeting. The Bengals-Browns series is tied at 35 victories each. The Browns lead 21-13 as the home team, but the Bengals have won three of their five Lake Erie trips under head coach Marvin Lewis. Overall, the Bengals have won six of the last eight games in the series. But the Browns are going for a 2008 sweep, having won 20-12 at Cincinnati on Sept. 28.