5 biggest x-factors for the Detroit Lions vs. Rams in the Wild Card Round

4. Dan Campbell

In terms of aggressiveness, the difference in the two head coaches on Sunday night is stark. Campbell and the Lions went for it on fourth down 40 times during the regular season, converting 21 of them (a not-so ideal 52.5 percent success rate). Meanwhile, McVay and the Rams went for it on fourth down 21 times, converting 13 (a 61.9 percent success rate).

Campbell plays to win, which was shown by his philosophy about resting players if the Lions had anything clinched and he paid that off in Week 18. That gets further reflected in his fourth down aggressiveness, and players love it.

But Campbell has had some struggles in finding the balance between appropriate aggression and not being smart about it. At times that has put his team in a bigger negative situation that it had to be if he had just taken a more conservative approach.

Campbell's aggressiveness is always a double-edged sword that fosters results-based, hindsight analysis. He's surely not going to change his ways in a playoff game, though if he does that will be interesting and telling.

Campbell's aggressiveness is something that feels sure to tip the scales on Sunday night, for his team if it works out or for the Rams if it doesn't work. The key for him will be being aggressive in appropriate moments, not just for the sake of being aggressive to show the belief he has in his team.