MINNEAPOLIS — The Miami Dolphins ventured to Minnesota in search of their first victory of the season. They didn’t get it. The Dolphins lost to the Vikings, 15-10, at U.S. Bank Stadium as they fell to 0-3 on the road.

In Miami’s first full game without running back De’Von Achane (season-ending knee injury) the offense struggled to find an identity while penalties held the Dolphins back on offense, defense and special teams.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the former Dolphins coach, wasn’t much of a storyline with his blitzes or pregame greetings with Miami staff.

Miami (0-4) hosts Cincinnati (2-2) next week.

Here’s what we learned Sunday:

Malik Willis stagnates

Quarterback Malik Willis (9 of 17, 85 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, two sacks, 67.0 passer rating; two carries, 11 yards) didn’t take a step forward in his growth process Sunday for possibly the first time this season. Willis lost a fumble and for the season he now has four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions) and two touchdowns (touchdown pass and touchdown run).

Willis hasn’t had a standout game yet in his four starts with Miami. He hasn’t lost the game for the Dolphins with his play but he also hasn’t won a game. Willis doesn’t panic and make bad decisions in crucial situations, which is good. But in another game or two he needs to have a few difference-making plays. — Chris Perkins

Run game, behind Ollie Gordon II, shows up

Running back Ollie Gordon II (nine carries, 100 yards) supplied the ground game that the Dolphins needed between his 12-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and his ability to move the chains. Yes, Gordon’s numbers were boosted by a 53-yard run so the ground attack wasn’t consistent. But it was timely.

In the first game without Achane, Gordon’s contribution was needed. Fellow running back Jaylen Wright only contributed five carries for seven yards while Willis had two carries for 11 yards. Miami will likely need to be better next week against Cincinnati, however, if it wants to get its first win of the season.

Dolphins defense plays so-so

The Dolphins didn’t allow a touchdown against the Vikings, which was the first time that’s happened this season. Minnesota could have scored on its final possession but tight end T.J. Hockenson slid close to the goal line and the Vikings had kneel downs tpo run out the slock.

Vikings running back Aaron Jones (20 carries, 94 yards) was effective, but quarterback Kyle Murray (27 of 37, 247 yards, no touchowns, no interceptions, four sacks, 90.7 passer rating) wasn’t a factor. Yes, Minnesota rushed for more than 100 yards but the Dolphins’ defense was strong until the Vikings’ final fourth-quarter possession.

The Dolphins entered the game No. 19 in total defense (335.3 yards per game) but Minnesota was last in the league in offense (238.3 ypg).

Miami’s defense recorded its first four sacks of the season but was dogged by Hockenson.

Dolphins blitz pickup is good

It didn’t appear that there were any blitz surprises on either side in the first half. Flores didn’t seem to blitz an inordinate amount of times and blitz pickups didn’t puzzle Willis, the pass protection or receivers. Minnesota had just two sacks.

Special teams woes

Miami’s special teams were bad. Minnesota’s opening kickoff return went for 48 yards, and then punt returner Malik Washington muffed the game’s first punt and cornerback Reese Taylor was flagged for an illegal block above the waist. Fortunately for the Dolphins the punt rolled into the end zone and Washington recovered the loose ball.

Then Minnesota punt returner Myles Price had a 36-yard return. And on the Dolphins’ next kickoff return Jaylen Wright bobbled the ball and the Dolphins were called for an illegal formation. Early in the fourth quarter Wright mishandled a kickoff that was bouncing on the ground and the Dolphins started on their own 19-yard line.

On the positive side, kicker Riley Patterson was 1 for 1 on field goals.

Untimely penalties, including negated TD

The teams combined for 15 penalties for 100 yards in the first half with Miami having eight for 50 yards.

Rookie wide receiver Chris Bell had a 68-yard touchdown negated by an illegal touching penalty. Quarterback Malik Willis scrambled to avoid a sack by edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and then lobbed a pass to Bell, who was behind the defense. The problem was Bell unintentionally and voluntarily went out of bounds, meaning it’s illegal touching if he catches the pass.

By the way, the Dolphins ended the first quarter with four penalties for 30 yards, a terrible full game pace, and a couple came from veterans. Left tackle Patrick Paul was flagged twice for holding in the first quarter and Robinson was flagged for offsides on Minnesota’s second possession. Paul was flagged for holding three times in the first half with two being accepted and one being declined.

Tight end trouble again

Hockenson had 11 receptions for 106 yards and proved once again the Dolphins struggle to cover tight ends.

Miami has been hurt by Kansas City’s Travis Kelce (two receptions, 49 yards) and Noah Gray (three receptions, 39 yards), San Francisco’s George Kittle (four receptions, 80 yards, one touchdown), and Las Vegas’ Michael Mayer (six receptions, 32 yards). Kelce had a 48-yard reception and Kittle had a 40-yard reception.

Sieler gets Dolphins’ first sack…and another as pass rush finally shows up

The Dolphins, who entered the game with no sacks, ended with four sacks Sunday. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler had two sacks in the first half, recording the Dolphins’ first sack of the season on the first play from scrimmage, dropping Murray for an eight-yard loss. Miami’s pass rush has its best day of the season by far.

Edge rusher Josh Uche had Miami’s other first-half sack. Robinson, who missed last week with a concussion, also had a sack.

Taaffe and Trader start at safety again, but there’s a defensive wrinkle

The Dolphins started safeties Dante Trader Jr. and Michael Taaffe at safety, a duo that seems to have solidified the starting jobs. However, Trader (knee) was injured in the second quarter but returned in the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins also offered a three-safety look with Trader, Taaffe and veteran Zayne Anderson a couple of times in the first quarter, which was something new this season.

In the nickel package it was rookie cornerback Chris Johnson in the slot with cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Jason Marshall Jr. on the outside and Taaffe and Trader at safeties. Last week cornerback Julius Wood got a look in the slot because, at 6-foot-1, 193 pounds, he offered a bigger body.

Flo socializes

Brian Flores, the ex-Dolphins coach who is now Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, socialized with a couple of Dolphins before the game, most notably defensive line coach Austin Clark and assistant tight end coach Lemuel Jeanpierre, who were both on Flores’ staff.

Flores, known as “Flo,” coached the Dolphins from 2019-21 and compiled a 24-25 record before being fired and eventually filing a lawsuit against the Dolphins and NFL claiming discrimination and that owner Steve Ross wanted him to purposely lose games, or “tank,” so Miami could get a higher pick in the 2020 draft.

Right tackle Austin Jackson and defensive tackle Zach Sieler are the only players on the roster from the Flo era.

Willis’ first downs with his feet keep coming

With his one rushing first down (unfortunately, he didn’t get credit for another one on the scamper that became a first after a penalty), a spectacular tackle-breaking one in the first quarter, Malik Willis maintained his pace to set a season record for rushing first downs by a Dolphins quarterback, on a pace for 29. Jay Fiedler set that high-water mark in 2001, when he logged 27 carries for a new set of downs. The team 25 years ago also saw Ray Lucas tack on four other firsts, leaving the franchise-best team number at 31. Speaking of 31 rushing first downs, that is how many Dan Marino had in 242 career regular-season games (he also had one in his 18 playoff games). — Steve Svekis

Dallas Turner destroyed his hometown team, like he has the rest of the NFL recently

The emerging pass-rushing star was born in Fort Lauderdale and graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Turner, who had five sacks and no forced fumbles in his first 25 career games, has roared to life his past 11 games, with 12 sacks and a game-wrecking six forced fumbles, including the one Sunday against Malik Willis that set up a key Vikings field goal.

Where are the BASIC return-game fundamentals?

One would have thought that the Dolphins special teams coaching, after the inexplicable, halting game-opening kickoff return by Ollie Gordon II from 2 yards deep in the end zone last week that left Malik Willis to start the possession at the Miami 9, that maybe, just maybe, there would have been a whole day dedicated to the return men establishing a spot on the field where, if the kick or punt would send them backward, they stay put and let the ball fly over their heads. This week, it was Malik Washington incredibly trying to field a punt at the Dolphins 3. The ball clanked off of him and the Dolphins were extremely fortunate the Vikings didn’t recover on the doorstep of a touchdown. Again, basic stuff. Like tagging up from third base on a fly ball with fewer than two outs. Criminy.

Wow, that was some Dolphins running back deja vu

In 2018, the Dolphins traveled to play the Vikings in December. On one magical play, after an injury to Frank Gore, rookie running back Kalen Ballage popped off right tackle for a shocking 75-yard touchdown. It was his 15th career carry, after not showing much, with 41 yards on 14 carries (2.9 yards a run). Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived, as he cobbled together a mere 549 rushing yards on 198 runs (2.8 a carry) for the rest of his brief career, with a long run of 17 yards. It was hard not to be reminded of that shocking Ballage jaunt when Ollie Gordon II tore off his also-career-long 53-yarder in the same stadium. Gordon had a career 93 runs for 267 yards, for a career average of 2.9 yards per carry (sound familiar?), before that lightning bolt off the left side. All the best wishes for Gordon, who was excellent Sunday AFTER his big run also, being able to build on his big game in a way Ballage couldn’t.

Snaps between sacks

Finally, the long, national nightmare is over. On the first snap of the game, Zach Sieler pulled down Kyler Murray for the Dolphins’ first sack of the season. It ended a 235-snap skid, which was still short of the 250 consecutive sackless snaps during the 2015 season, or even the 245 of 1987. Not only did that indicator of ineptitude get put to bed, but the Dolphins added three more and now are on pace for 17 for the season, one better than the franchise low of 16 in 1966, albeit in a 14-game season.

On deck: Cincinnati Bengals, Hard Rock Stadium, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Joe Burrow makes his second visit to South Florida, having annihilated the Dolphins in his Hard Rock Stadium debut in December, piling up a 146.5 passer rating on four touchdown passes. … Running back Chase Brown also is aiming to replicate his game in that 45-21 Bengals romp, having gained 109 total yards and piled up three touchdowns. This season, ex-Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki has three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Cincinnati brings a thus-far substandard running game into Miami Gardens, averaging 74.3 rushing yards a game.