See last weekend’s results below! 

1. Weekend Recap

The first event of the NFL Five 2021 Preseason took place last weekend, beginning with Joseph R. taking on creator Brian Fahmie in a Designer Challenge. The match started as a defensive struggle, and it became clear that both players would need to dig in for the field position game. Joseph’s initial punt pinned Brian at the 5 yard line, leading to a safety! The narrow misses on offense continued in the second half, though Joseph nearly pushed into a range to activate Justin Tucker’s ability. Ultimately, the ensuing punt led to another safety – cementing a 4-0 win for Joseph! 

Each Designer Challenge includes a Q&A session with fans, and this round’s topics included historic/legendary Players (yes!), more ways to use Players from a single franchise (yes!), and thoughts on the prevalence of dual-QB systems (under review).

Finally, two randomly selected viewers were awarded invites to the upcoming 2021 Kickoff Tournament. Congratulations to Joey D. and Logan P. – both of whom have been added the “2021 KICKOFF TOURNAMENT – QUALIFIED PLAYERS” list on the sidebar!

Two more Designer Challenges remain on the 2021 Preseason schedule, and this weekend’s exhibition tournament will provide the next chance to win an invite! Note that prizes are based solely on participation, and players of all experience levels are encouraged to attend. Join the official NFL Five Discord to find practice matches, and keep watching the blog for details about the 2021 Kickoff Tournament (special venue/date TBA).

2. JLA Starter Deck Giveaway

There’s still time to enter this month’s MetaX giveaway – see here for details. Visit the Panini Games Facebook page to enter, then check back on Friday for the results! 

3. Strategy Spotlight

Joseph R.’s defensive lineup included two overlooked Players from the 2019 release, with C49-19 Marquel Lee and U83-19 Chandler Jones forming the background of a “Time Machine” build. In combination with Slow Roll from the new set (and effects that energize Lee and Jones), this approach allows for a great deal of control over the game clock. In the first streamed match of the season, we’ve already seen a unique strategy hit the field – it’s exciting to think of the expanding possibilities from here!