Eskimos Grey Cup champions

So they didn't need Jason Maas after all. . .

After needing Maas to help Edmonton come from behind in the first two playoff games, Ricky Ray led the Eskimos for the entire game. And Edmonton pulled out an exciting 38-35 double OT victory in the 93rd Grey Cup in Vancouver.

Sean Fleming's 36-yard field goal was the deciding score after the teams exchanged touchdowns in the first overtime.

Montreal ran into a number of problems on its second OT possession. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo had a pass batted down into his hands. He proceeded to throw another pass that was dropped into the end zone. The Alouettes fans, upset over the drop, may not have realized that the pass wouldn't count anyway. Throwing two forward passes in a play is illegal. The penalty and a subsequent sack set up a 3rd-and-31 for Montreal. It wasn't enough as Calvillo couldn't find a receiver and his run wasn't even close to the marker.

Ray, who won the Grey Cup MVP trophy, finally snapped his TD pass-less streak with a 9-yard pass to Edward Hervey in the second quarter. He added an 11-yard TD pass to Jason Tucker in the first overtime. Ray hadn't thrown a TD pass in seven straight games, including two in the postseason.

The consensus big play was with Edmonton down 25-20, Ray completed a 3rd-and-4 with a long bomb to Derrell Mitchell. Without that play, Montreal would have the Cup. Ray then scored on a one-yard plunge with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter.

Montreal trailed at the half 10-1. Throughout the first half, the Alouettes had trouble figuring out Edmonton's aggressive defense before a sellout crowd of 59,157 at Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium.

While Montreal dominated the third quarter with two 1-yard TD runs by Eric LaPointe, Edmonton did get a major score from a 96-yard kickoff return by Tony Thompkins.

Damon Duval hit a 28-yard field goal for the Alouettes on the final play of regulation to tie the score at 28.

Here's some tidbits of note. . .

Edmonton's win was just the second Grey Cup decided in overtime. The other was Winnipeg's 21-14 win over Hamilton in 1961.

This is Edmonton's second Grey Cup title in three years and 13th overall. Edmonton is the fourth team in CFL history to finish third in its division during the regular season and win the Grey Cup: B.C. did it twice (2000 and 1994), Saskatchewan (1989) and Montreal (1970).

Danny Maciocia becomes just the seventh head coach since 1950 to win the Grey Cup in his first season.

Next year's Grey Cup will be held at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg. Go ahead and mark your calendars for November 19, 2006. This will be the third Grey Cup in Winnipeg: 1991 (Toronto over Calgary 36-21) and 1998 (Calgary edging Hamilton 26-24).