Maybe Darrell Doucette isn't delusional after all.
Maybe the quarterback known as “Housh” was right when he declared last week that he's “better than Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes, at least when it comes to flag football.”
Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP, and Doucette never played in the NFL, but he's a superstar in flag football and continues to prove his mettle at the International Federation of American Football Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland this week.
The U.S. began its defence of its 2022 world title with strong performances on Tuesday, beating Spain 57-25 and Brazil 52-6 in group play. Through the two games, Doucette completed 15 of 19 passes for 281 yards and eight touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown and adding another as a receiver.
U.S. quarterback Darrell Doucette scored a touchdown as a receiver during a 52-6 win over Brazil in a group game at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland, on Tuesday.
(Lester Barnes/USA Football)
The U.S. finishes group play against Serbia on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Doucette told the Guardian that he felt it was a “disservice” to the flag football world to “automatically assume” that NFL players would represent the United States when flag football makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
He elaborated in an interview with TMZ last week.
“We're their fans and, like I said, we're glad that they want to win gold medals and represent their country just like we do,” Doucette said, “but we don't want to be forgotten because we're the ones who helped this sport get to this point.”
He also said he might be a better option at quarterback than Mahomes, who is one of several NFL players who have expressed interest in playing flag football in the Olympics.
“I feel like I'm better than Patrick Mahomes because of my game IQ,” said Doucette, who led the U.S. to victory at the 2021 IFAF World Championship in Jerusalem, the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama and the 2023 IFAF Americas Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I know he's the best in the league right now, I know he's more accurate, I know he has all the intangibles, but when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.”
