Nearing the endpoint of the 2022 regular season, it has long been established that the DeMeco Ryans’ led San Francisco 49ers defense is among the best in the NFL. They have limited even the best offenses in the NFL. But according to Ryans’, there is still room for improvement in this group.

With injuries impacting the offense throughout the season, the 49ers have relied heavily on their defense. At times, this group has been near perfect. And they played a crucial role in last Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks, ultimately leading to the 49ers clinching the NFC West.

But even with the success of this unit, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans believes that the group can look even better. During a conversation with reporters on Wednesday, he made this clear.

Via 49ers NFL Reporter Cam Inman:

“It’s a great accomplishment to win the west, but everyone knows that’s not our goal. We didn’t play our best in Seattle. If we want to be a great team and move on, we have to play better defense, and guys got that message. … It’s actually time to pick it up”

According to DeMeco Ryans, this unit is still yet to play to their full potential. If they can somehow find yet another level, this could be terrifying for their upcoming opponents.

The 49ers have not allowed more than 20 points in a single one of their last seven games. With the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals still on the schedule, this defense will have more than enough time to get even better. This could lead to them giving even some of the NFL’s best offenses problems in the postseason.