The Giants and Jets went head-to-head in their first game of the preseason Saturday night as fans returned to MetLife Stadium for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Murals created by local students thanking front line workers of the pandemic can be seen at the stadium. One of the murals, created by a Lodi High School student, has the words “Thank You” written across the front.

Football fans tailgated ahead of the game, filled with excitement to get back to some sense of normalcy.

“It was tough to watch last season with no fans, I think that changes the game completely so we're really excited to be back in the stands,” says Brendan Mitchell, of Mannasquan.

Ridgefield Park resident Carlos Martinez says, “It's been a rough year on many fronts for many different reasons, so it's good to try to get back to some type of normalcy.”