As the final eight seconds ticked off the clock, the MetLife Stadium crowd roared, teammates turned to each other to hug and Deonte Banks ran 98 yards unimpeded toward a walk-off touchdown like a human Secretariat.

All the way back from a career left for dead as a draft bust in January, Banks might as well have been flying — he even stretched out his arms as wings for the final 7 yards — on the path Sunday to turning a near-loss into a 36-24 victory against the Cardinals.

“That’s like something you dream of,” Banks said.

The Giants have sealed back-to-back wins on an interception backed up against their end zone in the final 20 seconds.

“That’s what winning is,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s what winning teams do.”

After an 11-point comeback, the Giants are 3-1 for the first time since 2022, have won their first three home games for the first time since 2008 in old Giants Stadium and are alone in first place in the NFC East for the first time since 2015.

Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (2) scores his game-winning interception and touchdown run to end the game when the New York Giants played the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Robert Sabo for NY PostGiants cornerback Deonte Banks (2) celebrates his game-winning interception and touchdown run to end a game against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY PostGiants cornerback Deonte Banks (2) celebrates his game-winning interception and touchdown run to end the game against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, October 4, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“Did y’all hear [the fans] on that stand, cheering up our defense?” quarterback Jameis Winston said. “We got players on the stands, praying. Everybody just getting turnt. That’s why you want to win games, that vibration and frequency. It’s beautiful when you say, ‘The Giants find a way.’ ”

The Cardinals were road favorites, which added extra motivation to the Giants.

“It’s dumb to be underdogs at home,” Cam Skattebo said after rushing for 58 yards. “Especially when you are a good football team. When people want to bet against you at your own place and you’ve got a team coming from a six-hour flight on a time change, it’s a pretty difficult feeling as a team when you feel like you are put underneath them. So we came out here and handled business.”

Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19) throws a pass during the first quarter of a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Metlife Stadium. Robert Sabo for New York PostGiants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs the ball in for a touchdown while dragging Arizona Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams (21) during the second quarter of a game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, at Metlife Stadium. Robert Sabo for New York Post

On a day when many of the 1986 Giants celebrated the 40th anniversary of their Super Bowl title at halftime, the Big Blue defense paid proper homage with three interceptions and making four fourth-quarter stops to recover from a disastrous start.

“Hell, yeah, we want to uphold those guys,” defensive tackle DJ Reader said. “It’s a pride thing when you see those guys out there.”

Gifted a bogus pass interference penalty on Banks that put the ball at the 4-yard line with 22 seconds to go and left the Giants in danger of blowing a 30-24 lead, Jacoby Brissett threw three straight incompletions.

“I thought you had to touch the guy for it to be pass interference,” Harbaugh railed. “I was crying inside about it. Was it crying? Was it rage? It’s kind of a mix of those two things, right?”

With each incompletion, the Cardinals’ win probability dropped from 70.4 percent all the way to 0 percent when, on fourth-and-goal, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson dropped Reader and fellow big man Shelby Harris into coverage and blitzed Dru Phillips off the slot and two inside linebackers up the middle. Banks stepped in front of Michael Wilson for the interception.

“I’d been thinking slant all day,” Banks said while cradling a game ball after his first pick-6 since high school. “That one, I just played it, and he just ran where I thought he was going to run. We wouldn’t want it any other way. That’s how you finish.”

Giants wide receiver Malachi Fields (88) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown during the second quarter of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Metlife Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post

Anyone who was clamoring for the quintessential Jameis Winston Experience after his two stinkers since replacing Jaxson Dart got just what they ordered.

Admittedly frustrated that he was receiving criticism for quietly managing the Giants to a victory last week when people wanted to see more of his trademark make-or-break throws, Winston threw for 250 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while quieting chants from small sections of the 80,893 fans who wanted to see newly acquired quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Winston finally ended a streak of 23 straight true possessions without a touchdown on a scrambling 12-yard toss to rookie Malachi Fields as the Giants began their comeback from a 14-3 deficit.

“I’m heating up and I’m starting to get better,” Winston said. “Last week, I was questioned on if I could even throw. This week, I got people talking about the Jameis Winston Experience again.”

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) is sacked by Giants defensive tackle CJ Okoye (99) during the second quarter of a game at Metlife Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post

Both teams scored on their first two possessions, but the Cardinals happily traded two touchdowns for two field goals.

Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese got the defense turned around in the second quarter with three game-changing plays.

Reese hit Brissett and forced an underthrown interception to Greg Newsome II. He also made an open-field third-down tackle to force a punt. And then he corralled a batted pass by Shelby Harris for his first career interception, setting up the Giants with a 26-yard short field that turned into a Malik Nabers touchdown catch.

“He was all over the field again,” Harbaugh said. “He’s taken off.”

Winston threw go-ahead touchdowns to Nabers — his first score since last year’s ACL surgery — in the first half (19-14) and to drop-plagued Theo Johnson in the third quarter (27-24).

Dominic Zvada made all three of his field goals to stretch his career-opening streak to 9-for-9, including a 52-yarder with 2:11 remaining.

The defense that had answered the bell after Najee Harris fumbled on a second-effort push — the fifth fumble in four games by the Giants’ top three running backs — despite playing for the first time without leader and sack-machine Brian Burns (torn ACL) had one more answer. The script was almost the same as last week, when Jevón Holland’s end zone interception (and touchback) sealed a win against the Titans.

“We’re trusting our players,” Nabers said, “and we’re tallying up wins.”