[NVDave]

So if a 737 driver really wanted to come to a stop in minimum (ie emergency) distance, what can they really do when passenger comfort is no longer an issue?

[USNBandit]

If you are landing on a really short runway you would select a Flaps 40 landing and Auto Brakes 4. When you touch down the spoilers deploy automatically, the Auto Brakes activate, and you employ the thrust reversers. That's everything you have to slow down.

For an abort, like this instance, When you pull the throttles back the plane knows you are aborting, the spoilers deploy, the Auto Brakes activate, but because you lost one engine you don't want to use thrust reverse on the other.

Had this aircraft been going faster when the eagle hit it could have taken off, burned down to a suitable landing weight and returned for a single engine landing. When you are setting up to fly, these aircraft have very lengthy tables you churn through to come up with max abort speeds, single engine takeoff speeds, etc.