When Kevin O'Connell saw an opportunity earlier this season to needle Harrison Smith, little did they realize this innocuous razzing would turn into a standing weekly meeting between the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and the longest-tenured player on his team.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith will play in his 8th career playoff game on Monday in Glendale, AZ vs. the Rams. Smith is in his 13th season in the NFL. He will turn 36 one week before the Super Bowl. In other words,

The Los Angeles Rams are using Dan Campell's Message to Kevin O'Connell as motivation for upcoming playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.

This matchup of former coaching cohorts could come down to whether the Vikings can protect Sam Darnold against the fearsome Rams front.

The Vikings are coming off of a 31-9 loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions that gave Detroit the NFC North title, sealing coach O'Connell's team's round one playoff fate. On Friday, it was revealed that the Rams are using a postgame quote from Lions coach Dan Campbell as motivation ahead of their showdown with the Vikings.