"Preserving the turnover ended up being worth 3 points, we'll take it, but if you had to choose going for seven or not getting three, missing out on the three is not a big deal right there."

You are leaving out a big factor. It isn't a choice between "going for 7 or not getting 3"

Because by falling on it, you get pretty much a guaranteed 3 and still have an excellent chance of getting 7 while having zero chance of not getting the TO.

Our O had literally gotten 7 off a TO a minute earlier. So by recovering the ball you are still giving yourself a chance to "go for 7".

And this scenario is nothing like going for it on fourth down.