Yes, after four games, the 2017 team will be in much better position than the 3-1 team of 2016.
Whether we go 2-2 or 3-1...2017 team is way ahead of the 2016 team.
However, even as an avowed Kool-Aid drinker, even I have to admit that the problems on run D are so glaring that it's hard to imagine the problem can really be "fixed" this year.
On the other hand, we've got our head coach, and it sure looks like we've got our franchise QB, so the future indeed looks bright. If McVay/Phillips can't fix the run D in 2017, I'm confident they are smart enough and skilled enough to improve it by next year at the latest.
