The 2021 NFL season featured unprecedented parity and a record number of walk-offs. This weekend was more of the same — and then some.

Why it matters: For the first time in NFL history, all four Divisional Round games ended in walk-off fashion. It was, quite simply, the greatest playoff weekend ever.

The National Football League said in a memo Friday that unvaccinated players on the remaining eight teams left in the playoffs no longer need to take daily COVID-19 tests.

Driving the news: COVID-19 protocols were updated "to eliminate the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated players to determine testing cadence," according to the memo that was obtained by Axios.

The Automated Ball-Strike system (ABS), the tech powering what's colloquially known as robo-umps, is inching ever closer to the big leagues.

Driving the news: The independent Atlantic League — which has partnered with MLB since 2019 — last week announced it was doing away with robo-umps after testing them for the past season-and-a-half.

The NFL has had a banner season in terms of ratings and engagement, thanks in large part to the return of fans to stadiums, a slew of suspenseful games and of course, some off-field drama.

Why it matters: The 2021 viewership spike has quieted concerns regarding 2020's COVID-related decline, while also justifying the $100+ billion in media deals the league signed with its partners in March.

The Orioles are altering Camden Yards' playing dimensions ahead of the 2022 season in an effort to reduce the park's propensity for home runs.

Details: The left field wall will be pushed back "as much as 30 feet" and raised approximately five feet, per the team. Last year's dimensions were 333 feet to left and 364 to left-center. The fence was seven feet high.

A judge's ruling has removed a major roadblock to the sale of the Denver Broncos, which now appears imminent.

Driving the news: In 1984, Pat Bowlen bought the Broncos from Edgar Kaiser Jr., who secured a right of first refusal on a potential future sale. On Tuesday, a Denver judge ruled that agreement was no longer valid.

Patrick Mahomes is the most-liked skill position player in the NFL, per Morning Consult's annual survey of U.S. adults.

By the numbers: Mahomes scored a net favorability rating of 34, which was calculated by taking the 41% of respondents with a favorable opinion of him and subtracting the 7% with an unfavorable opinion.

Rachel Balkovec will become the first woman to lead a minor league baseball team after the New York Yankees this week named her manager of the Tampa Tarpons.

Driving the news: Balkovec, 34, will manage the Tarpons, the low Class A affiliate of the Yankees, for the 2022 season, which begins in April.

After two decades of non-stop media attention, you'd be forgiven for developing LeBron James fatigue and taking "The King" for granted. But I'm begging you: Please don't.

By the numbers: Currently in his 19th NBA season, James is putting up almost identical numbers at age 37 as he was at age 27. It's utterly insane.

The NFL is eliminating the Wonderlic test from the pre-draft process, according to a memo obtained by the AP.

Why it matters: The IQ test has long been controversial given the lack of correlation between a player's score and his NFL success. Some also believe it has a built-in racial bias, like many standardized tests.