McVay’s own coaching tree has become a popular spot for other NFL teams to harvest head coaches, partly because he pays forward the opportunities and preparation he was provided as an assistant.

Here’s what Sean McVay said about facing the Vikings in the wild-card round, breaking down what makes them an “excellent team”

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell was Sean McVay's offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Rams. They know each other well, and the playoff game is a rematch.

The Los Angeles Rams are currently the No. 3 seed in the NFC for the playoffs but they’re not guaranteed to stay there. With one week to go in the regular season, the Rams could drop to No. 4 if they lose and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win on Sunday afternoon.

When news broke that Sean McVay was going to rest Matthew Stafford and many of his starters in Week 18 ahead of the playoffs, it ruffled a few feathers around the City of Angles.

Lions or Vikings, Sean McVay doesn’t care. The coach doubled down on his stance that it makes no difference to him who the Rams play in the wild-card round next weekend – something he made very clear last week when discussing Los Angeles’ possible playoff opponents.

The level of preparation and detail is so important in the NFL, that it often trumps the natural talent of the players. In the playoffs, every play call, every timeout, every decision is scrutinized.