We still do not know whether the main loads were lateral or fore/aft.
There is a major difference between this damage and AA587, all of the composite tabs on the vertical failed. Here, most of the attachment fittings, I would guess both sides, departed from the empennage, with some cross-over structure. And the crossover structure is sans empannage skin. Also, the rudder on AA587 was substantially damaged and removed from the vertical. Were the vertical attachment tabs redesigned to be stronger after the AA587 accident.
If the recovery ships rushed to the site of the first body recovery, then this would imply the vertical was in the same general area. (There are some maps on the Brazil site, but couldn't bring them up.)
Can visualize a case of inverted entry into the water where the vertical sliced through the surface, and the empennage structure was ripped away from the submerged vertical.
We need a structural engineer to chime in.