The Carolina Panthers saw their playoff chances take another significant hit on Monday night after suffering a disappointing 12-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

This has now put into question the availability of star quarterback Cam Newton for the final two games of the season due to his play continues to be impacted by his shoulder injury. Although the odds are certainly stacked against the Panthers, head coach Ron Rivera has stated that the team is going to continue to ride with Newton due to them still having slim chances to make the playoffs, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com.

“Believe it or not there's still a slim gimmer so we'll see,” the coach said. “Again, we'll continue to focus in on playing football and we got Atlanta coming to town and all intents and purposes, we play to win.”

Carolina needs a lot to work in their favor, but they are still mathematically in the equation to possibly secure one of the final playoff spots. This will not only need them to win their final two games against the Atlanta Falcons and Saints but for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Minnesota Vikings to also falter in their last two games of the regular season.

That said, it has become quite clear that Newton has been impacted by a nagging shoulder injury that limited his ability to throw the ball. He has had to be put on a pitch count in practice in the number of throws that he makes in practice throughout the week that hasn't allowed for him to perform at the level that he has been accustomed to over his career. Newton had completed 16-of-29 passes for 131 yards and an interception in Monday's loss to the Saints.

Ultimately, his availability for the final two games of the regular season will all hinge on the Panthers' playoff chances.