041 - Availability Wins: Why Injury Prevention Is a Tactical Advantage
You can’t win if your starters are on the sideline!
That’s not just common sense—it’s backed by data. A decade-long analysis of every NFL team from 2010 to 2019 proves a hard truth: teams with fewer injuries win more games. Period.
What the Numbers Say:
The study looked at games missed by offensive and defensive starters and linked that to win percentage, playoff appearances, and even draft position. The results?
Top 5 healthiest teams averaged 2.14 more wins per season than the bottom 5.
Teams with fewer injuries had a 46% playoff appearance rate vs. just 29% for the bottom half.
Top 2 healthiest teams averaged 10.35 wins per season and made the playoffs 75% of the time.
Teams with fewer starters out averaged 0.12 higher winning percentage—in a league where margins define legacies.
The bottom line? If you're healthy, you're in the fight. If not, you're on the outside looking in.
Apply It Beyond Football
This isn't just about the NFL. Whether you're in uniform, on patrol, in the gym, or on your feet all day, durability is the difference maker.
You don’t need a 53-man roster to feel the impact of downtime. For tactical professionals, injury doesn’t just lower performance—it increases risk. One weak link compromises the whole chain.
Actionable Takeaways:
Train for availability, not just aesthetics. Looks don’t matter if your lumbar spine gives out during a shift.
Injury prevention is performance enhancement. Call it prehab, durability work, or foundational strength, it’s how you stay in the game.
Recovery matters. The right strength program means nothing if your sleep, nutrition, or movement quality is garbage.
LaPlaca D, Elliott J. The relationship between injury rates and winning in the National Football League. Int J Strength Cond. 2021;1(1). doi:10.47206/ijsc.v1i1.62