“I think it’s just being held accountable,” Cherelus said with a grin as he surveyed the room. “We’re holding each other accountable, and it starts from the top down.
“Our culture is we don’t flinch when somebody goes down, because at the end of the day somebody’s got to step in, somebody’s got to play, so I think that’s just what it is, guys taking accountability for what they’ve got to do.”
The results were evident throughout the defense, which held Baker Mayfield to 145 passing yards, and made the key plays late.
Rozeboom took over calling the signals with Wallace injured, and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles and a sack. Cherelus jumped in next to him and had seven tackles, evidence of the adjusting on the fly across the board.
“Yeah, it’s the right kind of guys in the locker room,” Rozeboom said. “It’s a belief in themselves, and then it’s the coaches putting people in spots that they can be successful and instilling that belief in everybody that steps on that field.
“And I really think every guy that steps on that field has that confidence that they can get the job done — yeah, just the right type of dudes in this locker room.”