Dan Quinn delivers blunt message Commanders' locker room needs to hear

This was not the return that Dan Quinn had in mind. His Washington Commanders squad was outmatched in defeat to the Atlanta Falcons, leaving the head coach red-faced and clearly infuriated against the team that had fired him.

And make no mistake, Quinn let the entire locker room know about it.

Nothing much went right for the Commanders. Missing so many influential players due to injury diminished their hopes, but Quinn was expecting a lot more from those who turned out at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Commanders were lackluster on defense. Quarterback Marcus Mariota's limitations meant he was unable to catch up. Kicker Matt Gay was a rare bright spot, but that's about it.

Dan Quinn demands big response fom his Commanders players after Week 4 drubbing

It was sloppy. It was uninspiring. And Quinn's blunt message after the game made it clear that these standards would not be tolerated moving forward.

I'll explain what I told the team postgame. I said, ‘This stinks, and we’ve got to grow. That is a must.’ I thought, really, third down was a huge factor in the game on both sides. Us. Them. We knew third and fourth down was going to be a big piece of it. But I also said that our two road games, we've started slowly, and our two home games, we haven't. We're on the road again this week, and we need to get that handled. First quarter, down 10-0. We’ve got to make sure we can get that turned around and play it fast and aggressive like we like. That's kind of where we're at.Dan Quinn via SI

The gauntlet has been laid down. Things are difficult for the Commanders right now, but that is no excuse. They have to dust themselves off, focus on the next challenge, and show the resolve that propelled Washington from an afterthought to the NFC Championship game in the first season under Quinn's leadership.

The Commanders set extremely high standards for themselves that must be maintained. They have a challenging next game on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers, so nothing but improved commitment will do. This message needs to be understood, and anyone not pulling their weight will be disposed of accordingly when the time is right.

Every team goes through turmoil during the season. Every team deals with injuries, too. The Commanders have to suck it up and make the best of a bad situation. Anything less, and their dreams of going deep into the postseason once again will go up in smoke.

That might sound strange just four games into the year, but the situation is precarious. Quinn is experienced enough to know that, which is a big reason why there was a seismic shift in his typically positive demeanor.

And it needs the correct response.