Is it the QB sees if they get an immediate good look to convert and if it's not there, you punting like you would have otherwise?

Or

Is the intent is always to kick and trick a defender into batting it down (I know it just unluckily hit Evan, here) and getting a muff, as a result?

If it's the latter, then my goodness! Amazing ingenuity and could become more common for teams in the future. In "short" long field situation, it a no lose alternative to punting normally.