TORONTO — Is the Eskimos’ defence back on track?

It’s a question that could hold the key to the rest of the 2016 season, especially in the West Division, because a dominant Edmonton defence could affect the balance of power.

Calgary, BC and Winnipeg are teams that have looked better and won more games than the Eskimos thus far, and a big part of it is due to a defence that hasn’t been able to regain its Grey Cup-winning form of 2015.

Among other questions, can the Alouette offence round into form, and should the Argos be patient with the young Logan Kilgore?

All that and more in The Weekly Say.

Here are nine pressing questions for Week 9:

1. Is Calgary vs. BC a preview of the Western Final?

The West was a wide open race coming into the 2016 season and could still go in any direction. Make no mistake about it, however — the Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, not only in the West but in the entire league.

So far the tale of the tape has been one of total domination. Both teams have shining young stars at quarterback, strong defences and are well-coached, and if you take away the two games they’ve met head to head the Lions and Stamps are a combined 10-1-1.

Still, while one of these teams will take a significant edge in the race to the top (the season series is tied at one apiece while the winner of their Week 9 matchup gets both the division lead and the tiebreaker), the journey to the Western Final won’t be a cakewalk.

The Bombers have won three in a row and have found their defence along with a viable option at quarterback in Matt Nichols. The Eskimos have one of the league’s most explosive offences and are also picking up the pieces of a Grey Cup-winning defence in 2015. And finally, a Chris Jones team should never be counted out.

No one has looked more impressive than Calgary and BC but is this destined to be the Western Final?

 2. Will the Alouettes turn their offence around?

Another hard-fought loss for the Alouettes but they’re running out of moral victories.

Once again the offence was missing in action throughout a 23-12 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos. The Als were dominated in time of possession and failed to score a touchdown, while Kevin Glenn’s two late interceptions extinguished any late comeback attempt by Head Coach Jim Popp’s team.

The good news is Anthony Fera could have the kicking game back on track after connecting on four of five attempts against Edmonton. The bad news is Anthony Calvillo’s offence, dealt numerous injuries over the first month of the season, ranks last in the league in points for (18.6 per game) and net offence (329.6 yards per game).

Calvillo is arguably the most accomplished CFL quarterback of all time and his work with Jacques Chapdelaine and the veteran Kevin Glenn should help the offence improve, but will it be enough?

 3. What’s been the key to the Bombers’ turnaround?

It’s easy to point to Matt Nichols, now 3-0 this season as the Bombers’ starter, as the reason Winnipeg has been able to rebound from a 1-4 start and become very much relevant in the highly-competitive West Division.

Nichols has confidently led the Bomber offence each week, completing 70 per cent of his passes and taking care of the football with six touchdowns to just one interception — a definite upgrade, at least early on, over what Drew Willy was doing in Paul LaPolice’s offence.

As easy as it is to credit Nichols, however, there’s also a Bomber defence that’s forced 13 turnovers the last three games for a turnover differential of plus-11. That unit picked off Logan Kilgore five times in a win over Toronto last weekend, the first time the Bombers have accomplished such a feat since 2001.

The Bombers’ 27 turnovers forced put them first in the league by a long shot, as the next closest team, Toronto, has forced 17.

4. Should the Argos be patient with Logan Kilgore?

One day you’re everybody’s best friend, the next day you’re nothing. That might be how Logan Kilgore feels after one week beating the Ottawa REDBLACKS to put the Argos in first place and the next week throwing five interceptions.

Kilgore has been, by some, considered the Argos’ quarterback of the future, and he started out pretty well with a tough road victory in career start No. 1. Yet with two touchdowns and eight interceptions through two starts and some time in relief, perception on Kilgore has changed fast.

The 26-year-old has not had the same success Trevor Harris and Zach Collaros did so early in their chance as starters for the Argos, while Ricky Ray could be back in the lineup for the Boatmen by Labour Day.

At 4-3, the Argos have to strike a balance between fighting for every win this season and planning for the future. Is Kilgore a part of that answer, and should Cody Fajardo get a shot at the helm of the offence?

 5. What’s the biggest reason for the Ticats’ 3-4 start?

There’s no doubt about it, the absence of Zach Collaros made life a little more difficult for the Ticats through their first six games. But is it entirely to blame for the team’s 3-4 start?

The Ticats are considered an East Division favourite, and Collaros’ return after 11 months away makes them a major threat to not just win the East but go to the Grey Cup. Yet other issues have plagued Kent Austin’s team as well.

It starts with a defence that, despite leading the league in yards allowed (316.4 yards per game) has made nowhere near the same impact as a year ago. This season the Ticats have generated only two interceptions compared to a league-leading 26 last year. Meanwhile, after scoring eight defensive touchdowns in 2015, the Ticats’ lone defensive touchdown through seven games this season came on a Simoni Lawrence pick-six back in Week 1.

Factor in an O-line that’s allowed a league-worst 22 sacks so far this season and the potential role played by the absence of Tommy Condell and you start to realize the Ticats’ early-season woes haven’t entirely surrounded the quarterback position.

 6. Will Fred Bennett and Jeff Hecht help the Riders?

While their defence has shown sizable improvement the last two weeks, Chris Jones’ Riders have gotten some help for that unit with the additions of veterans Fred Bennett and Jeff Hecht to the secondary. Will it make a difference?

Bennett was a 2014 West Division All-Star and a major contributor to the Stamps’ Grey Cup-winning defence that year with his play at cornerback. Hecht is a six-year pro and gives Jones some Canadian depth to work with on the back end of the defence.

» Related: Riders add veteran DBs Bennett, Hecht

Fred Bennett brings veteran leadership to the Riders’ defence (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

Jones rolled the dice with a young defence this season and growing pains have followed, his unit ranking seventh in the league with 393.6 yards allowed per game and dead last in points allowed (33.3 per game). Will the two new additions help, or is it too little too late for a team still in search of its second win of the season?

 7. Is the Eskimos’ defence back on track?

Speaking of defences, that was a major area of concern a couple of weeks ago when the Esks lost their third straight game and fell to 2-4 on the season. Since then, however, Mike Benevides’ defence has held Henry Burris at bay in a 23-20 loss to Ottawa while keeping the Alouettes out of the end zone in a 23-12 win over Montreal (an average of 17.5 points against per game over the last two contests).

Much has been made of the Esks’ off-season losses on defence, from Otha Foster and Aaron Grymes to the injured John Ojo, and growing pains were expected. But with the sudden improvement and the midway point of the season just a couple of games off, have the Esks found their way?

If so, look out for the Green and Gold. The Eskimos may be in fourth in the West but a strong defence combined with a red-hot Mike Reilly offence means the Eskimos will compete with the likes of BC, Calgary and Winnipeg for the West Division crown.

 8. Which Lions receiver will finish with more yards?

The Lions’ offence has been outstanding out of the gate so far in 2016 and Jonathon Jennings has thrown four straight 300-yard passing outings — and he isn’t throwing the ball to just anybody.

Shawn Gore, Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham all rank in the top-12 in the CFL in receiving yards and are on pace to reach 1,000 yards, giving the Lions one of the most dominant receiving trios in the league.

The Manny Show isn’t all that’s on TV these days because Gore has recaptured the same magic that made him a dominant receiver early in his career (he ranks second among all Canadians in yards) while Burnham has flashed his upside by making highlight-reel catches and proving his toughness over the middle of the field.

Which receiver do you see finishing with more yards this season?

 9. Who’s the bigger threat to the REDBLACKS?

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have held up as the favourite to win the East Division through eight weeks of the season, but no one’s making it easy.

Hamilton, while 3-4, has Zach Collaros back under centre and the league’s top defence to boot. The Argos meanwhile have managed a 1-1 split with Ottawa this season and sit just half a game back of the division lead. Even Montreal with two wins isn’t out of the discussion yet, as a win in head-to-head action in Week 9 would pull the Alouettes to within a game and a half of top spot.

The Ticats are a popular pick to challenge Ottawa for the division but the Argos have always played Ottawa close and remain within close striking distance. Who’s the bigger threat to overtake Ottawa and win the East?