All last week in practice, Jim Zorn had Colt Brennan and the third-team offense work on late-game situations.
Zorn specifically wanted to evaluate Brennan's leadership in the 2-minute offense.
Brennan had an opportunity to work the 2-minute offense in a game situation on Saturday night.
He came up big, guiding the Redskins to a 13-10 comeback win over the New York Jets at the Meadowlands.
"This is what we had practiced all week for," Brennan said after he threw a 33-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Jason Goode with 1:17 left in the game.
An added bonus for the Redskins' sixth-round pick out of Hawaii: he celebrated his 25th birthday on Saturday night.
Redskins coaches emphasize that Brennan remains a work in progress and he needs work on his throwing mechanics, footwork and technique.
If Brennan, likely to be the Redskins' third quarterback in 2008, were to see regular season action this year, it would be under dire circumstances.
Coaches admit that Brennan does provide a spark, even if he is competing with and against rookies and roster longshots.
Just before the Redskins' game-winning drive, Brennan told Chris Cooley that he was going to lead the Redskins to a score.
"[The situation] was kind of pumping me up," Brennan said. "I said, 'Let's go get it. Go win the game.'"
Brennan and the offense went on the field with 2:04 to play in the game. The Redskins trailed the Jets by 10-6.
Brennan went for a big play right away, throwing a deep pass to Billy McMullen downfield.
McMullen was in one-on-one coverage with cornerback Ahmad Carroll. He made a leaping grab in front of Carroll for a 37-yard pass completion.
Said Zorn: "McMullen was running a clearing route, but Colt saw them attack the underneath receiver. So Colt took the 1-on-1 shot."
On the next play, Marcus Mason broke free for a 14-yard gain on a draw play.
One play later, Brennan saw that linebackers were creeping close to the line of scrimmage, indicating a blitz.
He dropped back and the Jets came at him fast. He threw a quick pass across the middle to fellow rookie Jason Goode.
Goode was open, but safety James Ihedigbo closed fast. Goode grabbed the ball and broke away from Ihedigbo.
Open field ahead. Goode raced untouched into the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown catch-and-run.
"They brought everyone they could bring and they forgot to cover the tight end," Zorn said of the play. "It was a hot situation. Colt maintained his poise. I'm sure they didn't want to leave the tight end completely uncovered, so we were fortunate.
"They were coming to sack him to end the game, and they paid for it."
Added Brennan: "That's what happens when you blitz. You can win or you can lose, and we just got them on that one."
Overall, Brennan finished the game with 4-of-5 completions for 79 yards and the one touchdown pass to Goode. His QB rating was 158.3.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Brennan had struggled to lead the offense. On his first two series, he could not guide the team to a first down.
He saved his fireworks for the final minutes.
"I liked the way he kept his composure," Jason Campbell said. "He gave the receivers an opportunity to catch the ball."
