Walker's 20-yard touchdown catch and Pat Leahy's 30-yard field goal gave New York a 10–0 lead before Los Angeles stormed back, taking a 14–10 lead on Allen's 3-yard touchdown run and a 57-yard scoring reception by Malcolm Barnwell. Late in the fourth quarter, New York drove 67 yards in six plays, including Richard Todd's 45-yard completion to Walker on the Raiders 1-yard line, where Dierking took the ball into the end zone to give the Jets a 17–14 lead. Their defense seemed to put the game away when Mehl intercepted a pass from Plunkett with slightly over two minutes left on the Raiders ensuing drive. However, Los Angeles defensive end Lyle Alzado forced a fumble from McNeil that linebacker Ted Hendricks recovered to give his team one last chance to drive for a tying score. The Jets defense proved up to the challenge, and Mehl intercepted another Plunkett pass that enabled New York to run out the rest of the clock.