The Washington Commanders’ new defense resembles the old. Coach Dan Quinn and his staff deserve time and the benefit of the doubt after two games of rebuilding, but the team has been porous, especially on the perimeter.

Don’t believe Sunday’s box score. Washington’s defense easily could have lost it the home opener, and the New York Giants scored just 18 points in part because their kicker got injured on the opening kickoff.

If Graham Gano had been healthy, the Giants could have kicked a go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter instead of going for it on fourth and four from the 22-yard line, where rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers’ drop handed Washington its largest stop.

“Coming from where this organization came from and understanding how hard it is to win in this league, you take the win,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said, downplaying the hardships and encapsulating the locker room mood.

But the defense is a significant worry. It has allowed seven touchdowns and three field goals in 15 drives this season, forcing one three-and-out and one turnover.

Stopgaps and stars are not causing trouble. And it won’t be easy to get right against the upcoming slate of offenses: at Cincinnati, at Arizona (on a short week), home vs. Cleveland, at Baltimore.

If Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. don’t shore up the unit, the offense undoubtedly will have to continue to chase points, which might hinder the all-important development of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Facing deficits could drive the rookie to feel he has to “put the cape on,” as coaches like to say, and undoubtedly would force the Commanders into more passing plays, exposing him to additional risk.

With Whitt as his secondary coach, Quinn flourished as Dallas’ defensive coordinator, but the Washington personnel raises concerns. Most important: Did the front office provide the coaches enough talent to produce a competitive defense?

Sunday, when the Commanders were assaulted constantly on the perimeter and struggled to tackle for the second week, it was hard not to wonder.

Both flaws were exemplified at outside cornerback. While Benjamin St-Juste had a solid game, including a forced fumble, the replacements for Emmanuel Forbes Jr. — who was not performing well before his thumb surgery — were Michael Davis and Noah Igbinoghene, veterans on low-cost one-year contracts. They struggled to stick with Nabers, who generated 86 of his 127 receiving yards after the catch.

Allowing quick, short passes was a secondary effect of the game strategy, St-Juste remarked. Washington got scorched on some long throws last week, he pointed out, so the coaches prioritized staying on top of receivers and forcing the Giants to nickel-and-dime their way down the field, which is usually hard to do — unless the defense also struggles to tackle.

Several players stated Sunday the tackling issue needed to be corrected. And Quinn seems to think outside cornerback is a concern.

“I would say we’re still undecided,” he said of the position group, conceding the team at one point benched Davis for Igbinoghene, a 2020 first-round pick who never found his footing during three seasons with the Miami Dolphins or last year with the Cowboys. “We’re just going to keep competing to find the right answer and the right people to put into those spots.”

The only other cornerbacks in the building, Bobby Price and Chigozie Anusiem, are on the practice squad, and if they haven’t broken into the rotation so far, it’s reasonable to ask how much they can contribute. (The free agent pool is also relatively weak.)

Opponents seem to realize fast throws on the perimeter might offset the Commanders’ highest-paid defensive players: tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Neither has made a major difference in the first two games; they have combined for five tackles and two quarterback hits. It’s hard to distinguish how much is their responsibility vs. how much they can truly accomplish versus rapid throws.

Still, in the locker room, players insisted that the defense’s communication improved and that tackling, cohesion and performance will come. That has been something of a mantra over the years. When another defensive-minded coach, Ron Rivera, was in control, it never delivered genuine results.

“I feel like we’re putting the preparation in,” Allen added. “We’ve just got to be able to transfer what we’re doing in practice to the game.”

A reporter pointed out he had said that often throughout his career. “It’s always frustrating, but I mean, frustration doesn’t do anything to help the situation,” he said.

The Commanders would now like to, for one of the first times in Allen’s career, transform his words into action.