Let's see...
As for the flight crew there wasn't much they could do except trying their best to convert height into distance. Leaving the AP on and reducing flap was their answer - I still have to see any hard evidence that this was the best course of action. It was possibly brilliant airmanship but so far we simply don't know.
The cabin crew managed an orderly evacuation in somewhat difficult but certainly not exceptional circumstances.
Again hat off for a job well done. Medal of merit ? At best premature, at worst a shameless
PR coup.