PHILADELPHIA — Before he left for work, before the short trip to play a game yesterday few outside the Giants locker room believed there was much chance to win, Chris Snee received an unusual send-off.
“It’s funny, the last thing my 5-year old said to me before I left to come to the stadium was ‘Dad, you know these guys have beaten you six times in a row,’ ” Snee said. “I was like ‘Thanks, Cooper, I know that.’ ”
The desultory losing skid to the despised Eagles came to a sudden and wholly unexpected halt because the Giants didn’t care a bit for the credentials of their opponent, got a where-did-that-come-from performance from Victor Cruz (the first two touchdown receptions of his career), a brilliant rebound outing from cornerback Aaron Ross (two interceptions after he was benched last week), didn’t rattle after a 14-0 lead became a 16-14 deficit and did exactly what they haven’t been able to do — finish — in grand fashion, scoring the final 15 points to turn back the self-proclaimed Dream Team 29-16 and send the stunned fans at Lincoln Financial Field home in a sour mood.
“They can continue being the Dream Team and keep dreaming,” Brandon Jacobs said. “That’s all I can say.”
Nothing can ever wipe away the stain of last year’s epic collapse when a 31-10 fourth-quarter lead devolved into a shocking and historic 38-31 loss but, for now, the Giants are proud owners of a one-game winning streak over the Eagles after surviving a feisty and at times nasty game.
“We felt coming in that we could beat these guys because we should have last year,” said Eli Manning, who finally put in a complete game, completing 16 of 23 passes for 254 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes, plus no interceptions.
Just like that, the Giants are 2-1, the Eagles are 1-2 and saw star quarterback-turned-mortal Michael Vick go down late in the third quarter with a broken right hand after completing a 23-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin and absorbing what he said was a late hit by Chris Canty.
“I was trying to protect myself, still didn’t get a flag and that’s pretty much been the story for the last three weeks,” said Vick, who came back from suffering a concussion last week in Atlanta and played the first series of the fourth quarter with the broken hand before exiting for good.
A wild first half ended with the Giants somehow leading 14-13 after squandering nearly all of the 14-0 lead they built on Manning’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Jacobs — who exploited rookie linebacker Casey Matthews in coverage — and a huge 74-yard catch-and-run by Cruz, making his first career start, replacing Mario Manningham (concussion).
The Giants didn’t have many answers for running back LeSean McCoy (24 carries, 128 yeards, 1 TD) but they were toughest when it looked most grim, limiting the Eagles to a second-quarter field goal after a first-and-goal on the 3-yard line and another field goal after a first-and-goal at the Giants 2-yard line in the last minute of the third quarter.
Despite the second goal-line stand, the Eagles went up 16-14 — but not for long. Eagles coach Andy Reid, showing little regard for the Giants offense, eschewed a punt on fourth-and-1 from the Giants 43-yard line. Vick handed the ball to McCoy, who ran left, was slowed by safety Deon Grant and brought down by Michael Boley for a 3-yard loss with 11:38 remaining.
“They definitely thought that [the Giants offense couldn’t take advantage] or else they wouldn’t have done it,” Grant said. “I’m glad they thought it.”
It took Manning seven plays to make the Eagles pay, throwing one of those “oh no” passes into double coverage, trusting Cruz could make a play against safety Jarrad Page and all-world cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Cruz did, leaping over both defenders for a 28-yard scoring reception to make it 20-16.
Jacobs banged in the two-point conversion to make it 22-16. Reid went bold again, as Vick’s replacement, Mike Kafka, on his first play fired deep downfield to DeSean Jackson but under-threw him and Ross came away with his second interception. With momentum squarely in their pocket, the Giants sealed the deal on a screen to Ahmad Bradshaw (15 carries, 86 yards), who scampered 18 yards to the end zone.
“If they’re the Dream Team, what are we?” safety Antrel Rolle said.
“We definitely shut ’em up, there’s no question about that,” added Jacobs. “We walked off the field as the winners, and by a nice margin.”
paul.schwartz@nypost.com