The Las Vegas Raiders will once again face one of the league's best teams this Sunday as they travel back to their old stomping grounds to face the San Francisco 49ers. One of the most historic rivalries in league history will add a new chapter in Week 9.

Both teams are on opposite ends, as the 49ers are a much more established team than Las Vegas. San Francisco is another team the Raiders will face this season that will likely make for an uphill battle on game day, as Las Vegas has one of the toughest schedules.

Las Vegas has gone toe-to-toe with some of the league's best teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs. Yet they have also come out flat in several of their losses. It will be interesting to see which Raiders team shows up on Sunday against the 49ers.

Below are a few of the matchups I believe will play a vital role in Sunday's results.

Raiders' Interior Defensive Line vs. 49ers' OL/Christian McCaffrey

Las Vegas has struggled to stop the run this season, against teams with running backs who are not nearly as good as McCaffrey. The Raiders allowed 140 rushing yards in the first half of their Week 8 win over the Jets. They held New York to 26 rushing yards in the second half.

The Raiders cannot afford to let McCaffrey get going, which is easier said than done. Still, the Raiders must approach Week 9 as they did in the second half of Week 8. Las Vegas must focus on stopping the opponent in one area or another, instead of letting the opponent decide.

Las Vegas' issues stopping the run and the pass in recent weeks have been noticeable. Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Leonard recently explained that several factors have contributed the unit's struggles this season.

“When you have multiple errors, which we did, it’s a combination of both [mental and physical errors], and making sure the guys are in the right spots or attacking certain things, or there’s some guys playing some different spots, so just being clear on all those things,” Leonard said earlier this week.

Trey Zuhn/Spencer Burford vs. 49ers' Defensive Line

Las Vegas drafted Zuhn in the offseason to bolster the offensive line, but his ability to play all five positions forced the coaching staff to find the best fit. He spent most of training camp developing at essentially every position except for center. In Week 8, they finally put that hard work to use.

After struggling to find stability at the position, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers earned their starts and playing time at the position. However, Las Vegas' offensive line looked relatively good against the Jets.

It will be interesting to see if Las Vegas starts Zuhn at right guard again. If they do, it will also be interesting to see how he fares against a better defense. Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko shared his thoughts on the rookie offensive lineman.

“I think he came out, competed, did a lot of good things, did a lot of things to build on. It was great that there’s some things that he’ll learn from and grow. And just being out there competing and helping us get a win was huge, huge for his confidence and huge for us going forward as an offense,” Janocko said on Thursday.

Las Vegas' Defensive Backfield vs. Brock Purdy/Kyle Shanahan

The Raiders' defensive backfield will be tested by one of the best all-around operations in the league. Shanahan is an expert play-caller and is all but certain to capitalize on Las Vegas' defensive issues, especially against a young defensive backfield that has struggled over the last month.

Las Vegas' young defensive backfield can only do so much. As the coaching staff has often done, Leonard hopes the staff's development and preparation will pay off on game day. It is unlikely that any additional players will be added to the unit. They must step up.

“Stack plays. Really focusing on us, our alignment, our assignment, key technique, fundamentals, and it’s especially that time of the year where it’s hard to really out-scheme people. Everybody knows who they are, so you have to go out and execute,” Leonard said.