The Tagovailoa quality that earns universal love from team. And the Harlan/Dolphins effect

A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Wednesday:

▪ When Tua Tagovailoa took full blame for the mishandled snap that ended Miami’s final possession against Kansas City, it didn’t surprise teammates.

I found it interesting that in separate conversations with two Dolphins players last week, both said essentially the same thing, unprompted, about Tagovailoa - and not about that particular play.

Asked by a few reporters about his relationship with Tagovailoa after coming in together in the same draft (2020), right tackle Austin Jackson said one thing he appreciates about the Dolphins quarterback is “Tua never once has pointed the finger at anyone. He’s very respectful.”

A few minutes later, linebacker Duke Riley was mentioning this about Tagovailoa: “I know one thing: He will never say [anything] is anyone else’s fault. It’s always his fault” in Tagovailoa’s eyes.

Riley said of Tagovailoa: “He’s constantly looking to get better. Even if he has a good game, there are always those plays he goes back to [and wishes he had done it better]. There’s nothing wrong with being hard on yourself. He’s always looking at how much he needs to do for the team. Even if other people are doing bad, it’s always that he needs to be better.”

That’s one of several qualities that teammates admire about the Dolphins’ quarterback.

“Everything is always uplifting with Tua,” Riley said. “Uplighting with positivity and always reflecting on how much he needs to improve.

“He’s a great person to have on your team. Anyone would do anything for Tua. Everyone loves him. He spends time with everyone on the team. Everyone on the team has been to his house. I love the guy, his family, everything about him. He’s someone you want your kids to be like.”

▪ When we report the announcers calling the next Dolphins game on Twitter (@flasportsbuzz), the feedback is usually limited. That’s not the case with Kevin Harlan, CBS’ No. 3 NFL play-by-play voice.

My tweet last week about Harlan calling Sunday’s Dolphins-Raiders game (with Trent Green) drew more than 1,300 likes, retweets or comments, virtually all of them positive.

Harlan has become a favorite of Dolphins fans, not only because of his overpowering voice and energetic, dynamic delivery but also because of the Dolphins’ immense success with Harlan behind the microphone.

Harlan has called three Dolphins games this season and Miami is averaging 49.3 points in those games. Tagovailoa has thrown for 1037 yards, with 10 touchdowns and one interception and a 130.6 passer rating in those games, and Tyreek Hill has 535 receiving yards and four touchdowns in those three games.

Since the start of last season, beginning with Tagovailoa’s breakout six-touchdown performance in Week 2 in Baltimore, the Dolphins are 6-0 and averaged 41 points per game with Harlan on the call. Tagovailoa has thrown 20 touchdown passes in those games.

CBS is sending Dolphins-Raiders to 22 percent of the country; click here for the TV regionalization maps.

The network is sending lead team Jim Nantz and Tony Romo to the Jets-Bills game, which will air in most of the country at 4:25 p.m.

▪ With Robert Hunt and Robert Jones “week to week” with injuries and Isaiah Wynn out with a long-term injury, the Dolphins auditioned veteran NFL guard Andrew Norwell on Tuesday. Undrafted out of Ohio State in 2014, Norwell has started 127 of his 128 NFL appearances - including 54 for Carolina, 57 for Jacksonville and 16 for Washington last season.

Two other guards also worked out on Tuesday for Miami: Colby Gossett (who has nine NFL starts, including four for Atlanta last season) and Wes Martin, who has 11 starts in four years and appeared in six games off the bench for Washington last season.

Until Hunt returns from a hamstring injury (he was working on the side at Monday’s practice), the Dolphins likely will go with Liam Eichenberg and Lester Cotton at guard. Backup tackle Kendall Lamm will get practice reps at guard and can play there, but Mike McDaniel suggested there’s no plan to play Lamm at guard immediately.

Jones is out with a knee injury but isn’t on injured reserve.

Also summoned for Tuesday workouts, a mechanism sometimes used simply for due diligence on players: former UM safety Bubba Bolden and defensive backs A.J. Moore and Dane Cruikshank.

▪ The Dolphins (6-3) enter the week fourth in the conference standings, behind the 6-3 AFC South leading Jacksonville Jaguars.

The New York Times’ analytics formula gives the Dolphins an 88 percent chance to host a playoff game. Only the No. 1 seeds get a first-round bye.

McDaniel said “this team has grown from last year. I think we’ve really gotten better in the midst of wins and losses. That’s a huge important piece because besides maybe this organization’s 1972 year, there’s always bumps in the road on the journey for every single team.”

▪ We mentioned Riley earlier in this piece, and he has been a good sport about his reduced playing time.

Riley has played just 65 defensive snaps, down from 368 last season. But he’s playing a lot on special teams.

“It’s always tough for a guy who’s played his whole career,” he said. “But I always tell myself, there’s no job too big, no job too small.

“Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to be that guy. I’m one opportunity, one play away from being out there every snap. I’m always prepared like I’m starting. I have one of the best jobs in the world. I will never not appreciate that.”

▪ Receiver Jaylen Waddle returned from the bye feeling pretty good, after dealing with back and knee and other injuries in recent weeks.

“The bye week really helped me,” he said. “Gave us a couple days off just to rejuvenate, really. Body recovery. I got a lot of treatment, not just me but all the guys.... I feel like in the long run, the second half of the season, I just feel a lot fresher.”

Waddle spent the bye weekend back in Houston, dining on oxtail, among other things.