@bar none: I don't quite share your disconcertment. Airplanes are very complicated working environments and often there is more than one way that will lead to a safe outcome of a potentially dangerous situation.
Also procedures are being amended and systems improved all the time based on occurences or accidents. A discussion of the same is always part of that process.
I don't understand, why, while levelling off, excessive down force was applied, causing the accidents mentioned earlier. When you retard the thrust levers, the pitch up moment decreases right away, so that little down force needs to be applied.