INDIANAPOLIS -- The pieces are there. Now it's a matter of putting all the pieces together in the right places on the Indianapolis Colts' offensive line so that quarterback Andrew Luck is on the field for every meaningful snap this season.

The thought of returning the same core group of offensive linemen from last season might not excite some when you take into account that group gave up 44 sacks and 128 quarterback hits. But you have to think this group has only one way to go -- up -- this season, especially when this is the first time it's returning the same core group from the previous season during Luck's six-year NFL career.

"I'm confident that we're going to have a good offensive line, no doubt about it," offensive line coach Joe Philbin said. "We still have a long way to go. ... It's a quality group both from an athletic standpoint [and] we have guys that understand the game well, who care about the game and each other and the Colts. We have to get them to finish better and play better. That's my job, really."

The Colts quickly proved on Sunday that they are in the process of tinkering with their offensive line. Left guard Jack Mewhort shifted from left to right guard, while Joe Haeg, the projected starter at right guard, went to left guard.

The reason behind the switch?

Experience.

Shifting Mewhort gives the Colts experience on the right side because right tackle Le'Raven Clark is just in his second season. That puts a veteran player alongside a young player on each side of the line. Indianapolis has Anthony Castonzo at left tackle to go with Haeg, who is in his second season.

"Right now, we've got a bunch of guys that have played a bunch of spots," coach Chuck Pagano said. "Flexibility is huge. Versatility is huge. ... We've got to be able to have flexibility there and we're fortunate enough to have guys that can do that."

Philbin didn't need to be reminded of how many sacks the Colts gave up in his first season coaching the offensive linemen in 2016. He quickly said "44."

Philbin doesn't have a goal for the amount of sacks his linemen allow this season. He just knows it needs to be well below 44.

"We kind of do it a little bit backwards in terms of we address the fundamental issues and schematic issues that we had that contributed to those 44 sacks from the offensive line perspective," Philbin said. "Is it our punch? Do we not handle a swim move very well? Do we not pick up twist very well? Do we not understand particular protection from the blitz?

"So we're kind of more focused on not just the raw number, but we certainly analyzed every single one of them. We really spent a lot of time looking at why [the sacks] happened, how they happened and, conversely, what we can do better to bring the number down."

That's where having veterans on each side of the offensive line to help with communication up front comes into play. And it also helps so that Philbin won't have to spend another offseason looking at a lot of quarterback sacks.

"I'm done watching them," he said with a smile.