JL Skinner made a heads-up play to save the Broncos against the Raiders.

Literally.

The second-year Broncos safety blocked a punt with his facemask in the third quarter on Thursday that was recovered by running back Tyler Badie inside the Las Vegas 20-yard line. It set up a go-ahead field goal by kicker Wil Lutz to deliver a 10-7 victory for Denver at Empower Field at MIle High.

“I didn’t realize it hit my face,” Skinner said in the postgame locker room. “I thought it hit my hand at first. Then I saw my visor, and it had the mark of the ball on it.”

Skinner, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Boise State, is especially gifted on special teams with elite size at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. Skinner used it to beat Raiders offensive lineman Charles Grant with what he called a “drive and crank” move. It allowed Skinner to squeeze through the interior line and block AJ Cole’s punt attempt.

“I played a new position this week,” Skinner said. “Usually, I’m on the outside and this week they kind of put me on the inside. So, I was just thinking about how I could make a play and change the game a little bit.”

Skinner’s teammates were thrilled by his game-changing play.

Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers: “JL is a consistent player. That’s what he does. He plays with a physicality that people don’t want to match. … JL is kind of the engine that makes that special teams thing go.”

Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper: “He definitely made that play today that changed the momentum for us.”

Inside linebacker Alex Singleton: “I’m glad his face was there. … It’s always funny when you look at the big screen. You think it’s a clean block and it just bounces right off his face.”

Skinner has made many key plays on special teams over the past two seasons. None were quite so important as his blocked punt against the Raiders. The Broncos (8-2) have won seven games in a row, the longest win streak in the NFL.

“You’ve just got to be ready when your time comes,” Skinner said. “I was ready for the moment. I was thinking about that play all day actually. So, I knew it was going to happen at one point.”