APPLETON (NBC 26) — Green Bay Packers fans are still processing their team's crushing playoff defeat, gathering at local establishments to share their frustrations and hopes for the future.
At McFleshman's, longtime supporters nursed their drinks while dissecting what went wrong in a game that started with such promise.
"So many emotions, first half, just so much fun to watch, it was fantastic. Second half not sure what happened. It was hard to watch," Cari Guerin said.
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Her husband Douglas, also a lifelong Packers fan, felt the team should have dominated from start to finish.
"I was thinking the game should have been 42-6, we scored 21 in the first half, should have been the same in the second half. It should have been a flipping blow out," Douglas Guerin said.
The morning after brought a harsh reality for fans like Kat Sachs, who has supported the team for more than 20 years.
"I woke up this morning and was like, oh man no football," Sachs said.
While some fans took a measured approach to analyzing the loss, pointing to injuries as a key factor, others had more pointed criticism.
"I don't blame any one person... we got so injury riddled it just made things so difficult," Sachs said.
The Guerins focused their criticism on special teams performance.
"We've been lacking in special teams coaching lately," Douglas Guerin said.
"I think they need to look at the kicking team, I think there was a big hole last night, you can't leave points on the field," Cari Guerin said.
Perhaps most painful for these devoted fans was losing to their division rivals.
"And it was to the Bears, in their own place, that does hurt a bit," Douglas Guerin said.
"That hurt, that does hurt, I'm not gonna lie," Cari Guerin said.
Despite the disappointment, these fans remain committed to their team.
"Nothing will keep me from being a Packers fan," Sachs said
