The Facts: Cousins is looking sharp in spring practices, but he’s learning precisely what “open” means in his new offense.

Diehards Line: As Star-Tribune staffer Andrew Krammer notes, the Vikings’ passing game remains an obvious work in progress after just five 11-on-11 practices into Cousins’ tenure. While the veteran quarterback found receivers Adam Thielen and Laquon Treadwell for impressive strikes, he’s still adapting to nuances of each target. They range from an effective close-quarters tight end such as Kyle Rudolph to some shifty receivers. Jump-starting that chemistry is a continued emphasis in the red zone, where the Vikings will rely on a new quarterback and new coordinator to maintain their 2017 success. “We’ve spent an awful lot of time, I think this is our fourth day in the red zone,” HC Mike Zimmer said. “I think it’s just important we get a lot of work in there. We put a big emphasis on it last year. We’re going to continue to do so.” The red zone is where the 2017 Vikings thrived with Case Keenum and Pat Shurmur. Only four offenses scored more than the Vikings’ 5.11 points per red-zone trip last year, according to Football Outsiders. The goal this year will be making sure Cousins and new OC John DeFilippo get off to a strong start. That objective seems realistic given the strong supporting cast.