Chiefs DE  Tamba Hali said the Raiders play "dirty," adding that his team needs to come out "swinging." (US Presswire)

There wasn't much spice surrounding Sunday's game between the 2-4 Raiders and 1-5 Kansas City until Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali took out an industrial sized bottle of Tabasco and started pouring Wednesday.

"(The Raiders) are coming in and they're a good team and a fast team and they play dirty," Hali told the Kansas City Star. "We've got to come out swinging. We've got to be ready for that. You can let these guys come in and if they do it and you let them do it, they're going to enjoy themselves doing it and they'll run over you. So you have to be prepared for that and stay with the game play.

"They Raiders, they come in, they cheapshot, they hit you. I'm not saying (any) names. It is what it is. We've got to be ready to play and keep our composure, stay poised and be able to get this win."

The Raiders' response?

"If somebody's talking about you, you're doing something right," Raiders fullback Marcel Reece said after practice Thursday. " You're doing something good. We play hard. We don't play dirty. But everybody has their right to their own opinion. Obviously divisional opponents are going to feel it a little more because it's a rivalry. Those weeks are different.

"You just see it and you keep moving. He plays hard. I was surprised to hear it from him. I could expect it from some other people, but from him I was real surprised because he plays hard, he's a tough guy. To each his own."

The Raiders have long had an image of being NFL rebels who push the rules to the limit and beyond. Last year they set NFL single-season records for penalties and penalty yards last season, but new coach Dennis Allen has stressed the importance of playing smart, disciplined football. The Raiders have been penalized just 40 times for 311 yards. That's an average of 6.7 penalties and 51.9 penalty yards per game.

"I have no idea what he's talking about," Raiders guard Cooper Carlisle said. "I feel like we play within the rules."

"I don't think we're dirty," Raiders cornerback Michael Huff said. "I just think we play physical, aggressive football, like it's supposed to be played."

Raiders coach Dennis Allen made sure not to add fuel to the fire -- at least not publically.

"He’s entitled to his opinion," Allen said of Hali.

Earlier this year, Hali was accused by the Buffalo Bills guard Andy Levitre of taking cheap shots in Kansas City's 35-17 loss. He told Buffalo's WGR-AM that Hali tried to twist his neck and went after tackle Cordy Glenn's shoulder.

"That wasn't even late in the game during the blowout," Levitre said. "It was the first half. Then again, it was a blowout before halftime. The Chiefs' defense should be frustrated after that performance."

Said Reece: "Sometimes fingers are pointed at you and you point fingers at somebody else. That's why I tend not to point fingers at anybody. Just play."

Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter @CBSRaiders.