Deleting reversers may seem like an odd thing (and I would agree), but requiring a main deck cargo door and main deck cargo floor are not that odd. They are basic customer requirements. Airbus did not agree and Airbus/Northrup Grumman's proposal was based on the passenger version of the A330 and not the freighter version, while Boeing's proposal was based on the 767F. It was obvious failures to meet basic requirements like these (along with illegal development aid by USAF to Airbus) that resulted in Boeing's successful protest. And the rest is history.