Kirk Cousins: Vikings Would Be 'Pretty Dangerous' If Offense Wasn't Slumping

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins acknowledged the offense is holding the team back.

After Cousins and the offense stalled in a 21-7 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, he lamented the fact that the group has squandered some great performances from the defense, according to ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin:

"I don't know what the scale [of frustration] is for that level, but certainly when you're not putting as many points on the board as you know you're capable of or you've shown in past games, it's disappointing. I think the added piece of the disappointment is when your defense is playing so well.

"Our defense, I feel the last couple weeks or the last several weeks, has played playoff football, high-level football, and put us in a position where we should and can be in the playoff conversation as a result of the way they are playing defense. You know that if our offense would bring it that way that we brought it in the earlier weeks of the season, we would be pretty dangerous."

The Seahawks improved to 8-5 and put themselves in great position to secure the NFC's No. 1 wild-card spot, while the Vikes fell to 6-6-1. Even so, Minnesota still owns the second wild-card position thanks to the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins all losing to fall to 6-7.

If the playoffs began today, Minnesota would face the NFC North rival Chicago Bears on the road, and the Vikings fell 25-20 to the Bears a few weeks ago at Soldier Field.

Of the 21 points the Seahawks scored Monday, only 14 came from the offense, as Seattle had a defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Vikings, meanwhile, didn't convert their only score until there was 1:10 remaining.

Minnesota ranks 17th in total offense and 20th in points per game despite signing Cousins to a three-year, $84 million guaranteed contract to replace Case Keenum under center.

The Vikings have scored a total of 17 points over their past two games, and they haven't scored more than 24 in a game since a 37-17 win over the New York Jets in October.

Defensively, the Vikings are fifth in total defense and 11th in points allowed.

Cousins does have solid individual numbers, as he is completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 3,698 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He'll need to produce next week when the Vikings host a Miami Dolphins team in the thick of the AFC playoff race and coming off an upset win over the New England Patriots.