Joe Namath is the standard by which all New York Jets quarterbacks are measured. And with good reason, since Namath led the Jets to their only Super Bowl victory more than 50 years ago.

But the legend of Namath is more than just guaranteeing victory in the biggest game of his life. After all, there’s a reason he’s called “Broadway Joe.” Namath embraced the New York City lifestyle, and became a headline-grabber for his off-the-field exploits.

That’s a lot for any 22-year-old to live up to, and Sam Darnold is no exception. But the second-year quarterback seems to be up to the challenge, both on and off the field.

Darnold has the Jets talking playoffs following their third straight win on Sunday, a 34-3 victory over the Oakland Raiders. The New York Post’s Page Six reports Darnold celebrated the blowout win by painting the town red, Namath-Style, hitting Bounce Sporting Club in the Flatiron District with some teammates.

“They were celebrating like they’d just won the Super Bowl,” said a spy on the scene. “Sam Darnold was wasted, hooking up with some girl. The other guys on the team had to [look after] him.” “[There was] a limo driving him and the players around all night,” added the source. Meanwhile, an insider told us, “His team protects him — that’s the way they are on the field, and off it. He’s the franchise.”

Page Six reports Darnold was joined at the club by defensive backs Jamal Adams, Trumaine Johnson, Darryl Roberts, Brian Poole and Marcus Maye. According to the report, Darnold left the club at about 12:30 a.m., but that some of his teammates kept the party going.

Page Six says the party also was an early celebration of Roberts’ birthday, who turns 29 on Tuesday.

The New York Post reached out to the Jets about its story, but the team declined to comment.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.