From the Reuters story on the JATR report:
The JATR report recommended the FAA review the stalling characteristics of the 737 MAX without MCAS and associated systems to determine if unsafe characteristics exist and if so, if a broader review of the system design was needed.
JATR said MCAS and those systems could be considered a stall identification or stall protection system, depending on how the aircraft handled without them.
It seems the panel may have some of the same questions and concerns as some posters here, who have sometimes been answered rather harshly.