Although Sean Taylor continued to maintain his innocence to coaches and teammates, the NFL fined the Washington Redskins safety $17,000 for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay's Michael Pittman during the Redskins' 17-10 playoff victory last Saturday.

The amount of the fine is exactly the same as Taylor's share for playing in a first-round postseason game, but the league opted not to suspend the second-year player. And that's a bonus for the Redskins, who travel to Seattle for a divisional playoff meeting with the Seahawks on Saturday.

"Our feeling is that if that took place, then we understand the penalty and someone being taken out of the game," coach Joe Gibbs said on Monday. "He's so valuable to us. We had a long talk with him after the game, and we told him that we can't afford to lose someone as valuable as him. I think he understands."

Gibbs wouldn't comment further, except to say that television announcers at the game told him afterward that they thought Pittman should also have received a penalty for slapping Taylor in the helmet during the same incident.

But referee Mike Carey, who was standing close to both players during the brief altercation and made the call, interpreted Taylor's action as so egregious that he even went so far as to announce that Pittman would not be punished for retaliating.

Taylor, who has returned fumbles for touchdowns in each of the last two games, hasn't spoken about the incident with the media. But he has told teammates and assistant coach Gregg Williams that he did not spit at Pittman. Gibbs said his staff has watched replays, but can't ascertain whether Taylor is telling the truth.

"He said he didn't do it, so I don't think he did it," cornerback Shawn Springs said on Monday.

Cincinnati receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh accused Taylor of spitting on him after the Redskins-Bengals game last season. The league investigated but found no video evidence and levied no penalty.

Taylor, who has accrued several fines for violating the league's uniform dress policy, is supposed to go on trial next week in Miami on a felony charge of aggravated assault, stemming from a June 1 confrontation near his home. He is expected to request a postponement because of the Redskins' playoff run.

While not condoning this latest incident, Redskins coaches and players have praised Taylor for exhibiting a growing maturity and professionalism this season.

"He's turned his life around," defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin said. "He's been a more positive guy. He's been a great role model on the field."