I can't believe I'm about to type this, but the Skins might have been better off losing to Dallas...
Problem is, the lesson for Shanahan and Griffin had to be learned eventually and somehow. The lack of a scenario that would have caused a mistake, does not clear a person from ever making that mistake again, in a similar scenario. They are bound to make that mistake at some point, if they have a "flawed theory" in their head, that does not, and will not, change until experience teaches them. Because that person truly has yet to learn, what they were destined to learn what they were lacking.
Eventually they both had to learn that lesson. Hopefully, they learned it this time. And if so - better sooner, than later. Especially, if we weren't going to be champs this year anyway. For when the year comes when we're ready to become champs, as a complete team, we should not have to worry about that unnecessary mistake being an issue. Rather, we got it out of the way, in a year, when expectations were not to be Super Bowl Champs.
Now, I see the probably point you're making, which is likely that this gaffe may have cost RG3's long-term health, and be ir-reversible, and ir-reconcilable, health-wise. As far as that's concerned, let's wait and see on the prognosis of his knee, before we declare RG3 as "permanently damaged goods" physically.