By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
Berea -- Just when Browns running back Montario Hardesty was getting his swagger back, he suffered a torn right calf muscle against the 49ers and is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks. 
"Yes, it will be games," said Browns coach Pat Shurmur. "It will take him a little time to heal up from this injury. I can't tell you how many. It's very, very doubtful he'll play this week. He's in a boot at this point."
The Browns are hoping Hardesty can make it back in a couple of weeks, but it could take longer depending on the severity of the tear and how fast he heals. Shurmur described the injury as "a moderate tear of the medial gastrocnemius" muscle, which is the large muscle in the calf. Full recovery can take as long as six to eight weeks.
The Browns are expecting running back Peyton Hillis to be back from his pulled hamstring this week and be ready for Sunday's game in Houston, but his return is not certain. Hillis practiced last Wednesday, felt sore and sat out the next two days, and missed the San Francisco game. He stood at midfield in a warm-up suit before the game, launching passes toward the goalpost with quarterback Thad Lewis.
Just in case, the Browns will work out running backs in Berea on Tuesday. Among them will be Thomas Clayton, who was on the Browns' practice squad last season and was active for two games. He carried the ball once for zero yards. Clayton was a 2007 sixth-round pick of the 49ers out of Kansas State.
"We'd like to have a guy that can come in that's going to be able to be up and running here in a couple days," said Shurmur. "Typically, those are guys that have some NFL experience.
The Browns also have Chris Ogbonnaya, who was signed off the Texans practice squad Oct. 18 and will be looking forward to facing his former team. Ogbonnaya was pressed into service Sunday and played almost every down, in addition to special teams.
"I commend him for the job he did," said Browns tight end Alex Smith. "The game's not going to stop and wait for anybody, so whoever's up, let's get going."
In reality, the Browns are counting on Hillis to make it through the week and carry the load in Houston.
"We're hopeful," said Shurmur. "He's day to day. So we'll see how he progresses."
Hillis pulled the muscle early in the Raiders game Oct. 16 and has missed the past two games. All told, he's played in only three full games this season, so a strength of the team has become a liability. The Browns were supposed to have Hillis, Hardesty and third-down back Brandon Jackson sharing the load this season. Instead, Jackson was lost for the season to a turf toe injury on Aug. 19 against the Lions, and now Hillis and Hardesty are both ailing.
It's why Ogbonnaya was suddenly the featured back Sunday after less than two weeks with the team.
"Our list of runners has increased," said Shurmur. "We like to think we can still run the football. Whoever's running the ball, whoever's lining up at tailback, will have that opportunity. We've sustained some injuries, and we've had our first, second and third guy get hurt. We just have to keep playing, and I told the team this, too: Once you make the first excuse, it's a slippery slope. There are no excuses."
The Browns also have Armond Smith on the practice squad and Josh Cribbs willing to do anything that's asked of him. Earlier this season, he said not to rule him out playing in the backfield.
"Josh can do a lot of things," said Shurmur. "That'd be a good choice."
But, he added, "We have to go down [to Houston] with a plan to try and beat them, regardless of who's playing."
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