Cowboys’ Mike Nolan pauses news conference after hot-sauce mishap

The Cowboys’ struggles now include condiments.

Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Nolan had to pause his Monday Zoom news conference with reporters because he said he had Tabasco sauce on his finger and rubbed it in his eye, causing it to burn. The incident occurred with Nolan answering a question about pass-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.

“He’s been active every week as far as, I think, disrupting the quarterback. He’s escaped several times to do that,” Nolan said. “Obviously, the frustration for him as well is — look, it’s when he misses them. Whoop, excuse me. I’ve got something in my eye. Just had some Tabasco on my finger, and it went in my eye. That wasn’t good. Ugh. Terrible, geez. I’m sorry.”

The 61-year-old Nolan was away from the call for several minutes and let everyone know he was OK upon returning.

“My eye feels a lot better,” Nolan said. “But it was burning.”

Cowboys have been feeling some pain in the field as well. Jerry Jones’s team is 2-5 off a demoralizing 25-3 loss to the Washington Football Team on Sunday. Quarterback Andy Dalton was knocked out of the game with a concussion and Dallas has already lost starter Dak Prescott for the season to a right ankle fracture.

Nolan, who is in his first season with the team under head coach Mike McCarthy, has seen his defense struggle mightily. Dallas is allowing a league-worst 34.7 points per game and 408.1 yards per game, sixth-worst in the league.