ATLANTA — It did not happen, but for a few stretches there, it looked like it was actually going down. 

If you did not know any better you, would have been justified in thinking the Giants were trying to lose.

Trying to look bad. Trying to … tank. This is a terrible thing to insinuate about a team and the players who are part of that team.

Fans can call for losing for draft picks, but players want to win.

If they were indeed giving it their all Sunday, then it must be that the Giants are actually as lame as their record says they are. 

Never say it cannot get any worse because it can and it has.

The Giants were thrashed by the mediocre Falcons, 34-7, inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium to stamp this 100th year for the Giants as the season when they set a franchise record with their 10th consecutive loss. 

“What do I think about it?’’ rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers said. “Disappointed.’’ 

The extent of this embarrassment cannot be measured by mere words.

It had to be felt and experienced, the total domination and the abject feebleness of an offense that gave up more points than it scored.

Drew Lock, the quarterback this week, tossed one touchdown pass and threw two pick-six interceptions to hand the Falcons 14 points.

Lock also lost the ball on a fumble after a sack.

After the Giants took a 7-0 lead, the Falcons scored the next 34 points. 

“Wasn’t good enough and that’s my fault,’’ head coach Brian Daboll said. 

There were nine “Not good enough’’ or “put it on me’’ refrains from Daboll and what remains to be seen is how much Giants ownership takes all these mea culpa moments to heart.

Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are at the helm of a team that is 2-13 and facing a real possibility of ending their third season with the Giants on a 12-game losing streak. 

Looking ahead, this loss , combined with the Raiders’ win over the Jaguars, means the Giants — for now — hold the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, a prize for whomever gets to make the evaluations and the call.

The fate and job security of Daboll and Schoen must be teetering, as there is no sense that the Giants are on the right path and this dead team walking is a brutal look for all involved. 

After last week’s 35-14 loss to the Ravens, receiver Darius Slayton said he still believes in Schoen and Daboll. He was not interested in offering any words of support after this one. 

“Um, at this point I just play,’’ Slayton said. “I can’t really control what happens with that.’’ 

Never before has this franchise put a team on the field that lost 10 consecutive games.

The 1976 and 2019 teams labored through nine-game losing streaks and the tail end of the 2003 season (eight straight losses) and the start of the 2004 season (opening-day loss) added up to a nine-game skid. 

“Obviously, not a record you want to break,’’ Slayton said. “All we can do is try to not add to it going forward.’’ 

Michael Penix Jr. made his NFL starting debut for the Falcons (8-7) and the rookie did not have to do any heavy lifting.

He made some nice throws, at times looked like a newbie, tossed one unfortunate interception that was not his fault.

Mostly, Penix (18 of 27, 202 yards) brought some juice and was not Kirk Cousins, the veteran who fell into disfavor and was benched. 

By contrast, Lock is proving he is not the answer. He has three pick-six interceptions in his three starts. 

“To give up 14 points on the offensive side of the ball, it’s hard to win any game,’’ Daboll said. 

It all started so decently for the Giants.

After a three-and-out on their first series, they took a 7-0 lead on a 14-play drive punctuated by Lock’s nifty roll to his left to find running back Tyrone Tracy in the back of the end zone for a 2-yard scoring catch. 

The Giants were ahead 7-3 when disaster struck. Lock was late on his throw to Wan’Dale Robinson, making it easy for safety Jessie Bates to step in front of Robinson.

It was a routine interception and it was off to the races for Bates, running untouched 55 yards to make it 10-7. 

It was 17-7 at halftime and soon enough the Giants were out of touch. Two plays into the second half, Lock had his pass deflected by defensive lineman Zach Harrison as the right side of the offensive line — Evan Neal and Greg Van Roten — caved in and allowed way too much pressure.

The ball was plucked out of the air by outside linebacker Mattthew Judon, who returned 26 yards for a second pick-six on Lock to put the Giants down 24-7. It got worse, as it usually does for the Giants. 

“It would take a toll on anybody,’’ Nabers said of all the losing. 

How is he dealing with it? 

“Like a man,’’ the 21-year old said, “That’s how I’m supposed to handle it. Can’t handle it no other way.’’