tdracer, that's probably not worded to describe precisely the SFO accident. Anyhow the energy level was tricky. Intercepting a standard 3 deg profile from above, with a rather low-and-close geometrical intersection point is a beast. Your mind is firmly set that you are hot and high, so you WANT idle thrust....
and then
... In fact, as you intercept the G/S, heaven forbid the AP or pilot pulling up to capture it - oh wait, there is no other way - the A/C if still with idle thrust is in a SEVERE low energy state. Add to that a bit more pull to recover the duck-under (no matter A/P or human) and you have a 7n7 with a 6-8 degree DOWN trajectory vector, full landing flap with L/G down and 5 deg NU pitch to recover the profile and it is an extremely high drag configuration. The inertia is massive.
If not anticipated it all happens very fast and the recovery N1 is in the low 80s. Feel free to ask how I know.
Another trap is how un-common it is. These days especially long-haul it is ILS to ILS and stable-coupled from 15 NM. And guys get about 2 landings a month each. The chances of recognizing not only that the situation is wrong, but how quickly and deeply bad it is about to become are practically nil. And then you are left with the reactions. Why theirs came late is elementary HF.
In this respect both AMS 737 and SFO 777 wouldn't have happened if it was not for the intercept from above to begin with, I am quite convinced.