The two test pilots seem to describe a scenario in aspects similar to the later accident flights. Sim failure or not, it is getting very difficult to argue: oops, we didn't anticipate the erroneous MCAS activation or oops, the pilots should have easily dealt with this using some memory items within 3 s.
Rather, it looks like management must have known about the disastrous potential of MCAS, and must have decided to criminally push it on the market anyway and illegally hide it from FAA and pilots.