The answer to all your questions is yup. With respect, throwing his challenge flag right after the non call would not have cost our team in a major way. In fact I would argue it wlould have helped regardless of outcome. No where have I said no thinking needed for challenge flags but MOS and his handlers have shown throughout the season, for the most part they aren't very god at this challenge thing.
Like i said during the game, MOS still needs to throw that flag automatically right after the no call to send a message he has QB's back. I could care less if the challenge didn't work. I like MOS but him and his handlers have consistently struggled in using the challenge flag throughout the season for the most part. They way over think when to use it. Look how they finally used it this game, weird. And I wish right after that shoulder to head hit on ZC there was more of a response from his teammates on the field i.e. getting in the grill of the ****** bag in red who did it.
I'm assuming (hoping) CS and MN were standing beside ZC supporting him, giving him an extra set of eyes when the defense was on. Reasonlable expectation?