Apparently pulling pitch is not an option per the NATOPS. As stated the procedure could not be accomplished due to excessive vibration. This does highlight the benefits of collective mounted throttles like on Bells.
Yes, sometimes blindly following the rules isn't the best option - airmanship always trumps rulebooks in such scenarios. I also wonder if they were trying to follow the checklist rather than doing it from memory - that might explain the delay.
The NATOPs procedure may have been written for experiencing vibrations on start up rather than on landing.