Peyton Manning has said that the Denver Broncos' loss in the playoffs will help the team next season.

The AFC's top-ranked side were beaten in overtime by the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

The Broncos quarterback told the Denver Post: "Weather-wise, we had not had anything like that all season. There was some unknown going into that game. You can't simulate it. I tried everything from putting my hand in a freezing tank. But you just can't simulate it.

"Next year, the Super Bowl's in New York. So that was a good hurdle for me to be effective in those type of conditions.

"When you're not playing, you miss out on all the highs, but you also miss these disappointments. But I would rather be in the arena to be excited or be disappointed than not have a chance at all. That's football. That's why everybody plays it. You have to be able to take the good with the bad."

Manning missed the 2011 season while recovering from neck and spinal surgery.