The systems on the 737 MAX have almost zero commonality with the systems in a 737-100/200. Yes, the structure is largely the same, and the flight control cables are still there, but the avionics and particularly the automation are a world different.
As far as I am aware the 737 Max still has an overhead panel full of switches and the PM still has to push a little square thingy to check if anything is wrong.
I was an aircraft designer for 40 years
It explains your inherent bias and your disdain of pilots. You might want to pull out a copy of the original Flight of the Phoenix where at the end of the day it was the pilot who saved their bacon.
Seriously? You don't think the FADEC can sense the engine is running down and not responding? WE SET EICAS "ENG FAIL" MESSAGES FOR THAT EXACT SCENARIO TODAY! It takes less than two seconds, and one second of that is an EICAS global inhibit.
For the pilot to deal with it and even then it took Airbus a long time to come up with a checklist that covered the Miracle on the Hudson scenario. Years ago I was told that software can't be tested for what can't be assumed.