Samuel and Wilson are ruled out
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Patriots enter today's game against the Packers with a depleted defensive backfield, as cornerback Asante Samuel and safety Eugene Wilson were downgraded to out after not making the trip with the team.
Samuel, who has started all nine games this season, was questionable on the injury report throughout the week after hurting his knee. Wilson continues to be sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The Patriots, who are also without safety Rodney Harrison (shoulder), will have to shuffle their personnel, and it's likely veteran Chad Scott will move from safety to cornerback. That most likely would mean second-year player James Sanders fills in at safety, as Sanders was the team's first defensive back off the bench last week.
The team also has rookie Willie Andrews and free agent signee Rashad Baker as pure safeties on the roster. Also, receiver Troy Brown and linebacker Don Davis have played in the defensive backfield in the past.
Clearly, this will be an area the Packers and quarterback Brett Favre will look to exploit. The Packers also have the NFL's leading receiver in Donald Driver, who enters the game with 56 catches.
Also on the injury front, defensive lineman Ty Warren and right guard Stephen Neal -- two starters who were ailing with shoulder injuries -- made the trip.
Neal was hopeful that he'd be ready to return to action today after missing the last three games.
"You just want to go out there and help out any way you can," said Neal, who didn't miss a game in either the 2004 or 2005 season. "I'm getting treatment twice a day, doing whatever it takes to get back out there."
The Packers hosted Gostkowski on a visit before the NFL draft, and were strongly considering drafting him before the Patriots swooped in and nabbed him in the fourth round.
"It was my first time inside an NFL stadium, so that was cool," recalled Gostkowski. "That turned out to be the only trip I took. They were definitely a possibility."
In fact, the Packers' interest played a part in the Patriots' aggressive move to select Gostkowski 118th overall. The Packers, who had lost Ryan Longwell in free agency, had a bounty of draft picks, and the Patriots feared if they waited any longer, Green Bay might swoop in.
While Gostkowski ended up in New England, the Packers had an open competition in training camp between second-year kicker Dave Rayner and veteran Billy Cundiff. Rayner won the job and is 15 of 18 on the season.
Gostkowski enters today's game 10 of 13 on field goals.
Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com. 
