I've seen a lot of people criticizing Rodgers for holding onto the ball. I've only seen that since the offense has struggled. I never saw it when the offense was consistently top 10 material. He's held onto the ball for his entire career - it's who he is as a QB. Some of the best plays he makes is when he's holding onto the ball, rolling out of the pocket, or simply dancing around in the pocket. Without those abilities, there is no Detroit Hail Mary, no Rodgers to Cobb on 4th & 8 to send the Packers to the playoffs in 2013, and likely not a Super Bowl title to his name.
I get the frustration with the offensive struggles, but it's 3 weeks in since there was a bye in week 4. Rodgers made some incredible plays in Jacksonville. He struggled in Minnesota, but they have a top-tier defense. He played lights out in Detroit. The offense looked in sync. WIth Jordy Nelson continuing to knock off the rust and Eddie Lacy continuing to improve each week, by the end of the season these discussions could very well be laughable.
Anytime something goes wrong fans look for someone to blame. And pointing to the quarterback is the easiest target. I'm not saying Rodgers has been perfect this season, but he's been productive enough to get two wins and a near win against what looks like a scary Minnesota Vikings team. Most Packers fans have a mentality of "we should blow every opponent out of the water", which is rarely the case in the NFL. There is no full consistency; the season is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Once that perspective is achieved, it makes watching football so much more enjoyable because you don't come to expect anything. Instead you just enjoy the show and the journey.
The Packers are a good football team. They have the potential to be at or above the level of their 2014 form, when I believed they were the best team in football. They are likely to be in playoff contention, and that's all that can be asked. The early part of the season is to set up a possible run for the playoffs, and so far the Packers are doing that. Once November and December roll around, then we can start seeing teams' true identities.
