Broadway lights too bright for rookie QB?

Before someone reserves rookie quarterback Sam Darnold’s bus to Canton or a New York tabloid recycles last game’s, “INSAMNITY,” headline, let me drop two words on the city that never sleeps or under-reacts:

“Mark San-chize.” Or three more:

“A Star Is Born.”

The second was the tabloid headline after Geno Smith’s first game as New York Jet in 2013. Now Smith is the Los Angeles Chargers’ backup. Sanchez wasn’t a franchise-saving San-chize. The fifth overall pick in 2009 is out of football.

You can understand New York letting hype out-run hope again in Darnold, can’t you. This is a 65-year-old franchise with one big day, one defining memory — that Joe Namath finger-wag after Super Bowl III. It’s more recent, defining moment: The butt fumble.

Darnold looks like tomorrow for the Jets after his good play in a big opening win in Detroit. But who knows where tomorrow goes off one start?

All you know as the Miami Dolphins meet Darnold for the first time today is these two franchises define the importance of quarterbacks. Or the lack of them. It’s always been that way, going back to the 1983 draft, when the Jets needed one a few picks before the Dolphins and Dan Marino was on the board.

The Jets took Ken O’Brien.

“Who’s he?” Dolphins coach Don Shula said to his personnel head, Chuck Connor. .

In this millennium, the AFC East has been New England and three leftovers because the Dolphins, Jets and Bills haven’t found a quarterback to win consistently, much less rival Tom Brady.

The Patriots have started five quarterbacks since 2000. Darnold is the Jets’ 15th starting quarterback, and Josh Allen will become Buffalo’s 19th starter in that time on Sunday.

Even with Ryan Tannehill in his seventh year, the Dolphins also have started 19 quarterbacks this millennium (take a deep breath: Jay Fiedler, Damon Huard, Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, A.J. Feeley, Sage Rosenfels, Gus Frerotte, Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper, Cleo Lemon, Trent Green, John Beck, Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Tyler Thigpen, Matt Moore, Tannehill, Jay Cutler and David Fales.)

If the names change again with Darnold

and Allen, the issues do, too. It’s not about challenging the Patriots now. Whoever finds a quarterback will be first in line to replace the Patriots whenever Brady starts playing his age.

Darnold comes with the arm, the college pedigree and the highest draft position at third overall of any AFC East quarter- back since New England took Drew Bledsoe first overall in 1993.

His first pass in the NFL was intercepted and taken back for a touchdown. That only made his two touchdown throws sweeter in the Jets’ 48-17 win over Detroit. “A star is born,” headline? Naw, you know the drill:

“It’s only been one game,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “To sit here and say whether he’s great or whether he’s trash or whether he’s anything else, it’s way too early for that. He’s played one game. He’s got a lot of years to go and he’ll build it as he goes.”

Darnold has played up his USC background for being used to the spotlight. Really, what else is he to do?

Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake pointed to the 169 yards rushing the Jets had against Detroit as a quarterback helper. Wake brings the perspective of time, too. He was here for the birth of San-chize, as well as its demise. Ditto for Smith and several others.

“That’s going to be an evolving picture for us, just as we get to know him better,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “Obviously we’ll have to face him a couple of times a year most likely for the next however long.”

The Jets trot out their new quarterback, the Dolphins do their old and the mission statement is the same as Buffalo on Sunday with Allen: Find someone who can supplant Brady. Whenever that happens. If that happens.

Darnold has talent previous Jets hopes lacked. “Broadway Sam,” one tabloid headlined him in the wistful search for the next “Broadway Joe” Namath. Still, the lesson for Darnold is it’s not a long fall to the treatment Sanchize got by his end: “Broadway Schmo.”

Dave Hyde