On Saturday, the New England Patriots have to trim their roster from 75 to 53. That means 22 players will be unemployed.

For those who are on the bubble, such as linebacker Vince Redd, cornerback Jeff Shoate and receiver C.J. Jones, or even those who think they’re on the bubble, they may view tonight’s game against the Giants as their last chance. A good performance in New York could mean they still have a job Saturday night.

In reality, though, the time for showing what they can and can’t do is pretty much behind them. But that isn’t always the case.

“I think it depends on what that player’s situation is,” head coach Bill Belichick said when asked whether the fourth preseason game can make or break a player. “All of the players here are still competing for some type of roster spot on the team.”

While the Patriots will have to trim their roster by 4 p.m. Saturday, there’s still a chance for eight players to remain in Foxboro with New England’s practice squad.

Or they could become part of New England’s “shadow roster” — a player who comes back at some point in the season due to injuries to others.

Whether it ultimately factors in the player’s status or not, tonight’s game is an opportunity.

“I think every opportunity is important,” Belichick said. “I don’t know if I could say one game is more important than another or one good game is more important than some good practices, or some good practices are more important than a game. At this point, it is a composite of a lot of practices and four preseason games.

“If you’re running a race with a guy and he is a lap ahead of you and you have a strong finish, you are still going to finish behind him. If you are neck and neck with the guy and you have a strong finish and then you beat him, it makes a lot of difference. So it would depend on what the relationship of the competition is at this point [to determine] how much the last game means.”

smanza@projo.com