"I can only imagine what this is going to do to fuel him," inside linebacker Alex Singleton said Monday.

"We're in this industry, [and] you're going to get punched and have some tough losses," Head Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. "It happened in Kansas City … and we responded. … That can't discourage you from coming back, or you're never going to taste [success]."

"It's always a climb," defensive tackle Malcolm Roach said. "Every season's new. … It's going to be new challenges, but we've got to find a way."

All six players finished the year on Denver's practice squad.

"It was a hard-fought game," Head Coach Sean Payton said, "and we didn't do enough to win it."

The Broncos will look to earn an AFC Championship Game win against the Patriots to advance to Super Bowl LX.

Wattenberg, who is active, started the first 15 games of the season for the Broncos and played every snap before missing the last four weeks.

The Denver Broncos will host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m. MT on CBS.

Denver also elevated wide receivers Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

Denver holds a 2-0 record in this uniform combination, and the Broncos most recently wore the combination in a Week 15 win over the Green Bay Packers.

"We have a locker room that's full of guys that are ready to take advantage of what's in front of us," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. "We have a huge opportunity in front of us."