BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens’ startling charge into the playoffs was spurred by something perhaps even more surprising: a radical, run-first style of offense led by the rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Baltimore’s unconventional style of attack in the midst of a pass-happy N.F.L. era rescued the Ravens, who won six of their final seven regular-season games. And the most impressive victory in that stretch was a 12-point romp over the Chargers in Los Angeles in Week 16.

In the end, however, the defeat of the Chargers was the Ravens’ undoing in their rematch here Sunday in an A.F.C. wild-card playoff game.

In the week leading up to Sunday’s contest, the Chargers dissected the videotape of the Ravens’ Dec. 22 triumph in Los Angeles until every play and, more important, the alignments before every play were committed to memory. The Chargers’ defensive coaches schooled the players on every Ravens tendency and tried a daring lineup that included seven defensive backs instead of the usual four or five.