The Las Vegas Raiders' Week 9 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers is their next opportunity to prove they can beat good teams this season. Based on several close losses, it is fair to believe the Raiders have a chance to pull off an upset.

On the other hand, Las Vegas' four losses make it fair to wonder which Raiders team will show up against the 49ers. This has been one of the biggest questions facing this year's Raiders every Sunday.

Should the Raiders that nearly beat the Kansas City Chiefs show up, they will have a chance. If the Raiders that slept walked through their game against the New England Patriots show up in Week 9, it will be a long, long Sunday.

Raiders' Many Moving Parts

Las Vegas has struggled to run the ball for most of this season. Sunday against the 49ers will give Las Vegas' offense all it can handle. The Raiders must find a way to get their ground game going, no matter which back gets the job done. Last week, that was rookie Mike Washington.

"I thought overall, outside of Mike [Washington Jr.], the offensive line did a really good job. Tight ends blocking well. Mike ran well, so gave us a spark in the run game. But I don’t think it was a one-man show. It was a group effort, and I think we were able to stay more balanced [against the Jets]," Kubiak said earlier this week.

“I think it’s always a moving target. See where your team’s at, and who’s playing the best ball at the time. And it’s a 17-game regular season where things change every week. And they’ve been changing at guard. They’ve changed up front defensively. Changed at corner, and that’s the NFL. We have a young roster, and we’re going to give guys opportunities and see what fits us best."

Kubiak elaborated, noting that he aims to stick to the plan he outlined in the offseason. That plan was to use all three running backs as much as possible, with Jeanty accounting for most of those carries. Jeanty's health and the lack of a dependable offensive line have impacted things.

“I stand by what I said, that we’re going to need Mike [Washington Jr.], we’re going to need Ashton [Jeanty], we’re going to need Dylan [Laube],” Kubiak said. 

“They’re all part of our success, run and pass, and Ashton made huge plays for us in the game yesterday in the pass game, in protection. Phenomenal in protection like he’s always been, and just the way the game went yesterday, Mike got more carries, and going forward, we’re going to be counting on all three of those guys.”

Rookie offensive lineman Trey Zuhn has also become a critical, but moving, part for Las Vegas. This is after spending weeks largely in a reserve role as he continued to develop in practice. Last week against the New York Jets, Las Vegas' coaching staff started Zuhn at right guard.

This could continue for the foreseeable future, as Las Vegas continues to look for answers along its interior offensive line. Overall, Zuhn played well last week, but that was against a Jets defense missing players. San Francisco will pose a much greater test.

Still, the Raiders' plan at running back and offensive guard will remain unclear until they take the field on Sunday.

Confidence Meter

Based on what Las Vegas has shown over the season's first eight games, I believe Sunday will be more of the same. The Raiders' four wins have come against teams with losing records. Las Vegas' losses have come against teams with losing records.

San Francisco has a winning record and a coaching staff and roster that are superior to the Raiders' at the moment. The Raiders have a shot at beating the 49ers, but their four losses have made it clear in my mind that, as constructed and as used, the Raiders are highly unlikely to beat an elite team.

The Raiders are set for another challenging game on Sunday. Good teams can pick apart what their opponents do well and where they struggle. San Francisco has much more information on Las Vegas' strengths and weaknesses than the Raiders have on the 49ers.

Confidence Meter: Not confident.