Yes. But you can do everything listed there if they fall into a few of the exceptions to the rules and that is what your average fan doesn't know. Hard to argue a rule when all the pieces aren't even known.
Here are the exceptions:
Blocking Notes:
When a defensive player is held by an offensive player during the following situations, Offensive Holding will not be called:
if the runner is being tackled simultaneously by any defensive player;
if the runner simultaneously goes out of bounds;
if a Fair Catch is made simultaneously;
if the action clearly occurs after a forward pass has been thrown to a receiver beyond the line of scrimmage;
if the action occurs away from the point of attack and not within close line play;
if a free kick results in a touchback;
if a scrimmage kick simultaneously becomes a touchback;
if the action is part of a double-team block, unless the defender splits the double team, gets to the outside of either blocker, or is taken to the ground; or
if, during a defensive charge, a defensive player uses a “rip” technique that puts an offensive player in a position that would normally be holding.
Exception: Holding will be called if the defender’s feet are taken away from him by the blocker’s action.
If a blocker falls on or pushes down a defender whose momentum is carrying him to the ground, Offensive Holding will not be called unless the blocker prevents the defender from rising from the ground.
If the official has not seen the entire action that sends a defender to the ground, Offensive Holding will not be called.
Not always the best wording by the NFL, but according to Micah the ref told him it was not holding because the action occurred away from the point of attack. But since the QB was holding the football in the pocket, this exception, as Blandino explained, should not apply. The last exception, the official has not seen the entire action sounds like it could be a foul but the refs didn't see it.