I don't think he had any idea where the ball was before it hit him in the head. Better to be lucky than good?
Absolutely. If you had someone like minshew throwing wounded ducks all over the field then yes, lean on the run.
I really want to believe this is what O’Brien had in mind when he traded for Cooks (down the field) and signed Cobb (underneath/ check downs). Unfortunately this is the first game they have been able to execute his vision.