SportsQuest
All games

Week 18, Sun, Jan 10, 1:00 PM local

Philadelphia Eaglesat New York Giants

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford. Fly into EWR.

Build the quest

Kickoff slot

Early

Lots open before breakfast.

Lots open

8:00 AM

Local time on game day.

Where to stay

In the city

Tailgate from 8:00 AM, then the game.

The matchup

Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
Form

The Eagles are 2-1 after 3 games, 1st in the NFC East.

They are 1-1 on the road.

The Giants are 2-1 after 3 games, 2nd in the NFC East.

They are 2-0 at home.

What we know about MetLife Stadium

Where visiting fans stay

Checked at the source
  • Midtown Manhattan. 40 min. NJ Transit from NY Penn to Secaucus Junction, transfer to the Meadowlands Rail Line shuttle. Here's the thing most fans get wrong: MetLife Stadium is in New Jersey, not New York, but you should still stay in Manhattan and commute out. Every carless route to the stadium funnels through New York Penn Station or Secaucus Junction, and Penn Station is the one place where you can also handle the rest of your trip. If you stay near Penn, you take one train to Secaucus, then a 10 to 13 minute shuttle to the stadium door.
  • Hoboken / Jersey City waterfront. 25 min. NJ Transit rail via Secaucus Junction. Hoboken is a lot cheaper than Manhattan and still has its own bar and restaurant scene, which you won't find anywhere near the stadium. NJ Transit does not publish a Hoboken-direct Meadowlands shuttle for any 2026 event. Every 2026-27 Giants or Jets home game routes through Secaucus Junction only, same as every other base. PATH gets you back into Manhattan in minutes if you want a night out.
  • Downtown Newark. 35 min. NJ Transit from Newark Penn to Secaucus Junction, transfer to Meadowlands shuttle. This is the value option if the game is the whole point of the trip. For a MetLife trip, Newark costs less and takes less effort than Manhattan, and it's the one base here with a quick airport connection, since EWR is a few minutes away by AirTrain and rail. Newark Penn sits on the same NJ Transit line as Secaucus. The trade-off is a thin evening scene compared with Manhattan or Hoboken.
  • Secaucus. 15 min. Meadowlands Rail Line shuttle from Secaucus Junction. This only makes sense for a pure in-and-out trip. You sleep right on top of the transfer point, which helps on the way back, but Secaucus is a hotel-and-warehouse district with basically no walkable nightlife.

Around the stadium

From a specialist guide
There's no bar scene to book around. Three hotels sit within 0.6 miles: Hilton Meadowlands at 0.5 miles, Extended Stay America at 0.5 miles, and Hampton Inn Carlstadt at 0.6 miles. There's no walkable bar or restaurant district though. The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a race track, a disused arena, the American Dream mall, and parking lots. Heavy traffic highways surround the site on every side, so stick to controlled crossings if you're walking. The beds are there, but the night out isn't.

Getting in from the airport

Checked at the source
Flying into EWR, Newark Liberty International, takes about 30 minutes. You ride the AirTrain Newark, which is included in your NJ Transit ticket, to the Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station, then take NJ Transit rail to New York Penn Station.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
Meadowlands Rail Line via Secaucus Junction. Meadowlands Rail Line shuttle leg only, about 12 min. It's a few steps from the stadium's southeast gate. Coach USA 351 Meadowlands Express. It drops you in Lot K near the Quest Diagnostics Performance Center. You enter through the MetLife Gate.

Tailgating

Checked at the source
You need a car for this. Tailgating is legal, but only in your own parking bay, and you need a pre-paid parking permit just to be in the lots. Open parking spaces can't be used for tailgating, and ticket holders can't reserve adjacent spaces for others, so you can't buy into a stranger's tailgate either. Tailgating is banned in the parking garages and in the non-tailgating area of Lot G. If you're a carless fan visiting from out of town, plan on the in-stadium concourses or the team pre-game parties instead. Tailgating has become a ritual here, and it's allowed as long as you stay in the same space as your vehicle.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: You can bring one clear bag no bigger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus one small non-clear clutch no bigger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. Diaper bags and camera bags are not allowed. Medically necessary items get an exception after inspection at a designated gate. Bag check is free for NFL events and $5 for non-NFL events.
  • Re-entry: Re-entry depends on which team is playing. There's no re-entry for Giants games or most other events, but Jets games allow re-entry up to one hour before kickoff.
  • Prohibited items: You can't bring umbrellas of any kind. Strollers must be checked. Seat cushions aren't allowed except for medical reasons. No outside food, alcohol, coolers, or glass. No banners or signs of any size, and no flags of any size except international soccer flags. No camera lenses over 6 inches, no detachable-lens or professional cameras, no GoPros, selfie sticks, or tripods. No noisemakers or air horns. No adult-sized football helmets with facemasks.

Touring the stadium

Checked at the source
Stadium tours aren't available on game days. MetLife confirmed tours run only on non-event days. Of the six tour dates published for the rest of 2026, none falls on any of the 17 home games, and five of the six are the Saturday right before a Sunday home game. The sixth Sunday date lands on the only fall Sunday when both the Giants and Jets are away. The same pattern held for two prior seasons. Private tours run Monday to Friday at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm only, and 16 of the 17 home dates fall on weekends, so a tour almost never lines up with a game day. The private group rate runs $20 and $15; there's no public tour price listed. If you're traveling in for a Sunday game, the Saturday before is your best shot at a tour. Check metlifestadium.com/stadium-tours/about-stadium-tours.

After the final whistle

From a specialist guide
Getting out takes 20 to 45 minutes by rail, or 90 plus minutes by car. Rail is genuinely good on a normal NFL Sunday, which is why the carless verdict is workable: after events, trains run at least every 15 minutes on a load-and-go basis until the crowd thins out, then as needed, and leaving through the southeast gate can get you on a train in a few minutes. The slow nights are the truly full 80,000-plus events, not a routine game. At Super Bowl XLVIII, fans faced waits up to 90 minutes, and at one point fans were asked to stay inside the stadium until more trains were sent. After WrestleMania 35, there were long waits before the first post-event trains left. The other thing to watch is your connection, since NJ Transit tells fans to check the departure time of their final connecting train from Secaucus because evening service thins out. Driving or taking a rideshare out of the lots is the slow option, not the train.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
Don't book an airport-style hotel near the Meadowlands expecting a game-day atmosphere. You'll end up eating at the mall food court and crossing a highway on foot. Don't book in Queens or Brooklyn near JFK either just because it's New York, since that adds an hour each way. If you're staying in Manhattan, stay on the west side near Penn Station rather than the east side or downtown.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • Yard House at American Dream

    1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073

    This is the real walkable option, and most guides miss it. American Dream connects to MetLife by a pedestrian footbridge that runs through Parking Deck A.

    Away fans: this is a mall restaurant in a complex shared by Giants and Jets fans, so the crowd is mixed.

  • The Yard, Haledon

    289 Belmont Ave, Haledon, NJ 07508

    If you're a traveling Jets fan who wants to be around organized Jets supporters instead of a neutral sports bar, this is the place the club itself sends you to. It's listed in the official Bar Network as a scheduled watch-party host, which means giveaways, raffles for autographed items and game tickets, and visits from Jets legends throughout the season.

    Away fans: this spot draws mostly home fans as an official Jets Bar Network watch-party host.

  • Mustang Harry's

    352 7th Ave, New York, NY 10001

    It's been in business for 30 years, run by brothers Ian and Niall Conroy from County Tipperary, and what makes it useful isn't any Jets tie, it's the location: a few minutes from the Penn Station platform where your train to the Meadowlands leaves. It's an Irish gastropub on two floors, with tufted leather booths, cozy nooks, Conroy family keepsakes and antique fixtures, more than 20 HDTVs, and over 200 whiskeys and tequilas.

    Away fans: this bar welcomes away fans and serves as an official fan bar for multiple teams.

  • Redd's Restaurant & Biergarten

    317 Washington Ave, Carlstadt, NJ 07072

    Redd's answers a question MetLife Stadium doesn't otherwise answer: where do you go if you don't have a tailgate? It's a casual restaurant and bar with an outdoor biergarten of long communal tables, built, in its own words, to get people talking to each other, plus more than 35 flat-screens, a serious craft and import beer list, and an upstairs banquet room that holds 30 to 200 people.

    Away fans: this spot mixes crowds by design, an official Giants Bar Network venue that also serves Jets fans.

What to eat

The local food this city is known for: new Jersey pork roll and Italian-American Sunday Gravy.

Inside the stadium, 2026 season

  • Sunday Gravy rotates in on colder games. Source

Stand line-ups change every season.

Sidequests in East Rutherford

Listed in the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Eat65 points

    Rutt's Hut Ripper hot dog

    This roadside stand has been open since 1928 in Clifton and is known for the Ripper, a deep-fried hot dog whose casing splits in the fryer. Order it with the house mustard relish.

    $. The day before

  2. Tour100 points

    MetLife Stadium public weekend tour

    This 90 to 120 minute walking tour runs select Saturdays and Sundays at 10am, 1pm or 4pm, sold through Ticketmaster. The page does not list game-day tours, and dates are set around stadium events.

    $$. The day before. Bookable

  3. Outing40 points

    Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park

    Nickelodeon Universe is the indoor theme park inside American Dream, between MetLife Stadium and the Turnpike, with more than 35 rides. Kids under 2 get in free, so it's a solid Saturday option for families.

    $$. The day before

  4. Landmark65 points

    American Dream, the mall beside the stadium

    American Dream opened in 2019 right next to MetLife Stadium, and it's a shopping and entertainment complex with an indoor water park, an indoor ski slope, and a theme park all under one roof.

    Free. The day before

  5. Photo25 points

    Dream Wheel observation wheel

    Dream Wheel is a 300-foot enclosed observation wheel inside American Dream, next door to the stadium. The ride runs 30 minutes and you board at Court C, Level 3, by the food court.

    $$. The day before

  6. Eat65 points

    White Manna sliders, Hackensack

    This tiny stainless steel diner has served onion-griddled sliders on potato rolls since 1946. It's a North Jersey institution, about a 15 minute drive north of the stadium.

    $. The day before

  7. Landmark65 points

    Meadowlands Racetrack next door

    The Meadowlands Racetrack is in the same sports complex as the stadium at 1 Racetrack Drive, with harness and turf racing. Evening cards are listed at 7pm, so check the racing calendar for that weekend's dates.

    $. 18 hours before kickoff

  8. Eat65 points

    Candlewyck Diner

    This classic New Jersey diner is open daily 7am to 11pm, minutes from MetLife Stadium. It pitches itself as a bite before or after a Jets or Giants game.

    $. 5 hours before kickoff

  9. Drink25 points

    Redd's Restaurant and Bar pregame

    This Carlstadt bar and beer garden sits less than a mile from the stadium. It runs a shuttle to and from MetLife on game days, about $50 including parking.

    $$. 3 hours before kickoff

  10. Ritual25 points

    Train to the game via Secaucus Junction

    NJ Transit runs shuttle trains straight from Secaucus Junction to Meadowlands station, right next to the stadium. They start three and a half hours before kickoff and run every 10 to 20 minutes.

    $. 2 hours 30 minutes before kickoff

  11. Tailgate65 points

    Giants beer garden and plaza outside the gates

    This walk-up pregame zone sits outside the stadium between the MetLife and Verizon Gates, with a beer garden, the Jr. Giants Kids Zone and a stage. You don't need a car or parking pass to get in.

    Free. 2 hours before kickoff

  12. Drink25 points

    Biggie's Clam Bar, Carlstadt

    This family-run clam bar was founded in Hoboken in 1946 and now sits on Route 17 in Carlstadt. The bar stays open until 11pm Sunday and midnight Friday and Saturday.

    $$. 3 hours after kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of MetLife Stadium sits, and what you see from it.

What kind of game day do you want?

Pick one and Scout shows you where to sit.

Level 100, end zoneLevel 100, corner, home sideLevel 100, home sidelineLevel 100, corner, home sideLevel 100, end zoneLevel 100, corner, visitor sideLevel 100, visitor sidelineLevel 100, corner, visitor sideLevel 200, end zoneLevel 200, corner, home sideLevel 200, home sidelineLevel 200, corner, home sideLevel 200, end zoneLevel 200, corner, visitor sideLevel 200, visitor sidelineLevel 200, corner, visitor sideLevel 300, end zoneLevel 300, corner, home sideLevel 300, home sidelineLevel 300, corner, home sideLevel 300, end zoneLevel 300, corner, visitor sideLevel 300, visitor sidelineLevel 300, corner, visitor sideHomeVisitors
Level 100101 to 149Level 200201 to 250bLevel 300301 to 350Tap any part of the stadium to see its view.