I accept the analysis but not the conclusion. It depends on your viewpoint (which is why we have the term viewpoint.)
I have known for some time that these discussions do not hinge on logic and evidence, but rather on worldview.
I agree with your last paragraph. For instance, recently a study on bird wing flapping was used as "evidence" for the ground-up evolution of birds. I considered it as just evidence for what birds do with their wings when they climb inclines. Another recent fossil find of a "4-winged" bird was used as "evidence" for the tree-down evolution of birds. You can't lose as the "evidence" points in both directions.