A day of high hopes and championship dreams gave way to long faces in and around Boston as Patriots fans saw their hopes to hoist a 7th Super Bowl trophy slip away.

And yet, fans still embraced a season that far exceeded expectations.

Nathan Eisenhauer, who took in the game at the Scorpion Bar at Patriot Place in Foxboro said at the outset that he thought the Patriots would compete for a wild card playoff spot, at best. Getting to the Super Bowl, the Pats, “wildly exceeded expectations.”

Aidan Rowe, a fan for 22 years said, “I was honestly hoping for a winning season and for Drake to improve, but they crushed those expectations.”

The Scorpion Bar rocked with the Patriots’ signature chant for the season, “We all we got we all we need,” belted out by fans at the start of the game.

Even as the Patriots went into the half down 9-0, there was still hope at the Sam Adams brewery in JP.

“We can do this if they clean it up in the second half,” said bartender Alexis McMaster, of Dorchester, who spent a hectic first half getting a crowd of fans taken care of. “It’s been a rough two quarters so far.”

Brian Babz, who was hosting the event at the Scorpion Bar decked out in one of the ubiquitous “I (heart) Drake Maye” sweatshirts, said, “Tonight shows all walks of life that we are all Patriots.”

Back in Jamaica Plain, Dave Collins remembered back to the team’s championship in 2019.

“I’m just happy to be seeing this. It’s been a great comeback — this is a great team,” he said.

There were long faces at the bar at the Cask ‘N Flagon as fans watched the Patriots in Super Bowl LX. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
Brighton’s Aidan Reed reacts while watching Super Bowl LX at Cask ‘N Flagon. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
A fan wears Patriots colors before the start of Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Disappointment sets in for fans at the Cask ‘N Flagon. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)