Kyle Shanahan confident 49ers haven’t shown full potential

Kyle Shanahan is very pleased with the 49ers' start to the 2023 season, but believes there still is room to improve.

San Francisco moved to 3-0 after a 30-12 win over the New York Giants in Week 3 on Thursday night at Levi's Stadium and the team appears to be firing on all cylinders ... for the most part.

In speaking to reporters on a conference call Friday afternoon, Shanahan was asked if he feels the 49ers are in a similar groove now as they were when they won 12 consecutive regular- and postseason games in 2022 before losing in the NFC Championship Game.

Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.

“I feel like we're close," Shanahan said. "We finished last season on a roll during the season. Got in a groove. I don't think we're totally there yet. I think we can clean a number of things up. I thought we hurt ourselves in a number of situations last night and kind of have all three of these weeks, but hasn't been perfect. But I still think we're getting there, but I still think we can continue to improve a lot.”

As Shanahan mentions, the 49ers, despite their early-season dominance, still have room to grow. Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy has looked shaky at times through the air over the last two games, while the defensive secondary has had its fair share of inconsistencies as well. San Francisco also committed a combined 17 penalties for 142 yards through the first two weeks of the season before committing another six for 71 yards on Thursday night.

Despite the imperfections, the 49ers still find themselves in a comfortable position after an undefeated start to the season through three weeks and appear to be one of, if not the most complete team in the NFL thus far.

If Shanahan's squad still is capable of reaching another level, the 49ers should be well-positioned to make another Super Bowl run this season.