Last weekend was a good one for Chris Joseph. The Miami Dolphins, the team he has rooted for since he was a child and about whom he runs a blog called Fins Nation, had a bye. Joseph was freed. Not from despair that the Dolphins might lose. But from the fear that they might win and ruin everything.

The Dolphins (0-4), who play the Jets on Monday night and are one of three winless teams, are in a race for the bottom of the N.F.L. standings. But with ignominy this autumn comes glory next spring. There, for the team with the worst record and the first overall draft pick, awaits Andrew Luck, considered the best quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning.

While Luck, coveted for his accuracy and intelligence, enjoys his final season at Stanford, he has inadvertently turned beleaguered followers of struggling N.F.L.’s teams on their heads. From Seattle to Miami, rather than root for a win, fans root for him. Their feelings are summed up in a coarse three-word rhyme that has given shape to Twitter feeds, Facebook pages and dozens of Web sites. It implores downtrodden teams, in essence, to play really, really poorly for Luck.

“When they played the Chargers, right before that, I thought, this is what I want as a fan,” Joseph said, referring to the Dolphins’ opponent before the bye. “It’s the first time I ever actively rooted for my team to lose. I was getting mad when the Chargers were making a mistake. It’s really bizarre. I still haven’t come to grips with how I’ll handle it when they play the Jets because I hate the Jets. But it’s big-picture stuff. We’re going to stink no matter what. I’d rather really stink and get the best prospect since Peyton than win four or five games” and a get a less favorable draft pick.