2) Being well rested and less fatigued has a direct impact to play calls being faster, getting to the line of scrimmage faster, fewer mental errors, better execution, energy level, etc.
I'm a little surprised this has never been mentioned before. Why is this team practicing in pads for hours during the season? They shouldn't need tackle drills, live tackling, etc. at this point. They should be taking every precaution to avoid injury. The single biggest factor to a successful season at any level is the ability to remain healthy.