Kubiak hopes the break will help Ahman Green's troublesome bruised left knee heal.
"It gives us some more time from a rehab standpoint and it'll definitely be a help," he said. "Now, are we going to battle that the rest of the year? I think we will."
They're sending the running back to Alabama this week to get a second opinion because it continues to bother him.
"We're going to find out what's really going on, why is it swelling all the time and giving me pain and discomfort?" Green said.
Houston's $23 million offseason acquisition has missed three games and played only sparingly in two others because of swelling in the knee. The Texans' running game has struggled with Green managing just 260 yards.
With Green's health uncertain, the Texans may have to rely on Ron Dayne to carry the running game down the stretch. Last season, the 1999 Heisman Trophy Winner had 429 yards rushing with five touchdowns in December.
He had 122 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders for his first 100-yard game since he had 153 against the Colts on Christmas Eve. The Texans' other back is Adimchinobi Echemandu.
"If something's wrong with Ahman, then those two will have to do it," Kubiak said. "If Ahman is ready to go, then I think Ahman and Ronnie are a good complement to each other because they're totally different runners. So regardless of how it pans out, it's going to take two of them every week."
