Indianapolis » Josh McDaniels does not come to his decisions by flipping a coin.

The Broncos' first-year coach gives careful thought into every minute detail. Including the pregame coin flip. He studies, he analyzes, he decides. And knowing his ideas are sometimes unconventional, McDaniels will make sure he explains.

The night before the Broncos lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 28-16, here Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, McDaniels gathered his team in a hotel meeting room and told his players why, if they won the pregame coin flip, he wanted to defer taking the ball until the second half.

"What I liked about coach McDaniels is he made sure he told us why we're going to do it," said D.J. Williams, who played a tenacious, almost vicious brand of linebacker in defeat. "So there was no shock about: 'Why are you giving Peyton the ball?' It was a good plan. It made sense to us. We had a couple opportunities to get off the field on that first drive, it just didn't work out."

When all the numbers were added up here Sunday -- the Brandon Marshall catches, the Peyton Manning touchdown passes, the Manning interceptions, even more Marshall catches until he set an NFL record with 21 -- it all came down to a 50-50 chance.

Heads, the Broncos win. Heads, the Broncos lose.

The officials gathered the respective captains for a coin toss to see who would get the ball first. The Broncos called heads. It came up heads. What a break. The great Manning would have to wait.

What's that? McDaniels deferred. McDaniels' research had shown that the team that kicks off at the start usually has the final possession of the first half, and then gets the ball again to start the second half.

Score at the end of one half, score at the beginning of the next. Double-up the points while Manning waits on his sideline.

But even at its best, such a decision would have to be considered counter-intuitive.

"It is," said Colts star receiver Reggie Wayne, who added two other opponents in the past month used the same strategy. "If they go out there and get the job done, get a stop, it's a great decision. But if Peyton goes out like we did and gets points, it's kind of a tanker."

Manning got the ball first. When he was finished executing his first drive with remarkable precision, the Broncos were down 7-0. Manning got the ball again. When he was finished carving up the Broncos on his second possession, the Colts were up 14-0.

Manning would have to wait until his fourth possession to throw his third touchdown pass.

At that point, all the Colts had going for them was a 21-game winning steak and a 21-0 lead.

But at that point, Marshall had the Colts and the NFL record book right where he wanted them. Down big, and down big early, the Broncos were forced to pass and pass often. And darn near every pass Kyle Orton threw, it seemed, was to Marshall.

By game's end, Marshall's 21 catches snapped the previous NFL single-game mark of 20 set by San Francisco's Terrell Owens against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 17, 2000.

"No more deserving of a guy than he is," Owens told the Buffalo News upon learning Marshall had broke the record he held for nine years. "He's just been a hard worker. They always said that he was the Baby T.O. All records are meant to be broken at some point. I wish him well. He's going to have a great career."

Marshall's one-game totals for the ages: 21 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns. His second touchdown brought the Broncos back to within 21-16 with nearly 10 minutes remaining.

Perhaps Marshall's most telling catch, however, was the last one. The 21st catch that set the record? He pitched a lateral out of desperation to right guard Chris Kuper, who was tackled before the first-down marker. The Broncos were beaten, and turned the ball over on downs.

"Whenever you accomplish something like that, it definitely feels good," Marshall said. "But at the end of the day we have a goal and our ultimate goal is to win games. I'd definitely trade in a couple of those catches for a win, anytime. So, yes, bittersweet."

It was a gritty comeback by the Broncos -- who after falling behind 21-0, held Manning to 3-for-18 passing with three interceptions until his final drive of the game -- and a sensational effort by Marshall.

But the big, early deficit was too big. Next time the Broncos win the toss -- say next month in an AFC playoff game -- and Manning is standing there watching it, would McDaniels give him the ball again?

"Yes, no doubt," he said. "People can say you should try to get out to a lead and it will change the game, but that hasn't changed any of their games this year, they're 13-0."