2003 was another very competitive season for the Canadian Football League, as 6 of the 9 teams won at least 9 games. The Edmonton Eskimos (13-5) would take the Western Division by two games over a three way tie between Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, and the BC Lions, all tied at 11-7 records. Montreal (13-5) would have a much easier time in the Eastern Division, as they would win it by a very comfortable 4 games over Toronto (9-9). In the first round of the playoffs, it was Toronto over the BC Lions 28-7, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders would take care of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 37-21. In the Divisional Finals, Montreal would get by Toronto 30-26, while Edmonton would take care of Saskatchewan 30-23, setting up the match-up for the 91st Grey Cup Championship. The game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 16 at Taylor Field, in Regina, Saskatchewan before 50,909 fans. The two teams had played during the previous year with Montreal winning, but this time the Eskimos won the game by a score of 34-22. Montreal coach Don Matthews surprised many experts by playing rookie cornerbacks D.J. Johnson and Brandon Williams. Williams got the call in place of an injured Omar Evans, while Johnson started because in place of Wayne Shaw, because Matthews felt Johnson
was better in man-to-man coverage. Even though the inexperience of his young cornerbacks may have cost him the game, Matthews made no apologies for sticking with Williams and Johnson. After Edmonton running back Mike Pringle opened the scoring with a four-yard TD run on the opening drive, Edmonton took a commanding 14-0 lead in the second quarter when Ray connected with Tucker on a 41-yard touchdown pass, capping a four-play, 70-yard drive. Ben Cahoon made a spectacular, one-handed catch in tight coverage to put the  Alouettes on Edmonton's four-yard line. Montreal called an unusual option play when Anthony Calvillo pitched the ball to running back Deonce Whitaker who tossed a four-yard touchdown to a wide-open Pat Woodcock. On Edmonton's next possession, Pringle fumbled, and Montreal went straight to work, as Calvillo hit Silvain Girard on a 32-yard TD pass to tie the game. After a Keith Stokes fumble later in the quarter, Ray hooked up with a streaking Tucker with 1:23 left in the quarter on a 20-yard TD passing play, restoring the Eskimos' seven-point advantage. Montreal struck back on the next drive. Calvillo threw a 27-yard TD to Cahoon with 50 seconds left in the half to tie the score at 21-21, but Edmonton took a 24-21 lead into the intermission when Sean Fleming connected on a 27-yard field goal following another Stokes fumble deep in Montreal's half. The Eskimo defense took over in the second half, holding Montreal to a single point in the third quarter, while Ray scored early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run to give the Eskimos a 31-22 lead. The turning point in the game came one play earlier when a Montreal fumble recovery was negated by an offside call
on D.J. Johnson, sapping the life out of the Alouettes. Fleming booted a 27-yard field goal with 29 seconds left to seal the 34-22 victory for Edmonton. Jason Tucker, had two touchdowns and seven receptions for 132 yards, winning game MVP honours in the process.  Ben Cahoon made six catches for 148 yards and was voted most outstanding Canadian.