Over the years I have had dozens of pilots who are religious FMA callers, fail to understand what the autopilot is doing. As a very subjective opinion, I have found that those most hard wired to the FMA and SOP's have the least awareness
Exactly, and let's call a spade a spade, IF nothing else was done apart from pushing up and holding the thrust the magic of physics would suggest they'd have gone flying again.
EKs SOPs have evolved from an Airbus bias, the concept of a quiet dark cockpit doesn't apply here, Every other Boeing I've operated was based on verifying but not calling unless it's not what you expected.