INDIANAPOLIS -- Rob Chudzinski took over the role of Colts offensive coordinator in Week 9 of the 2015 season with the thought that he we would be calling plays for an offense led by quarterback Andrew Luck. With Luck's help, Chudzinski would turn a struggling unit around and there would be no looking back.

That ended up being wishful thinking.

Chudzinski had Luck for all one game before the quarterback went down for the season with a lacerated kidney. The list of quarterbacks Chudzinski has coached since Luck went down that afternoon against the Denver Broncos includes Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst, Josh Freeman, Ryan Lindley, Scott Tolzien and Jacoby Brissett.

And now Chudzinski, like the rest of the coaching staff, faces uncertain job prospects once the season ends Dec. 31.

“That’s part of coaching,” Chudzinski said. “You’d love to have Andrew play, obviously, and have some continuity and have some consistency up front. But it’s the puzzle pieces, right, that you’ve got to try to put together, and that’s the challenge of the job.”

It’s been a consistent struggle throughout for Chudzinski. There was not having Luck; facing the possibility of having to go with Tolzien this season; and problems trying to establish an effective offensive line even as the group struggled to protect the quarterback.

Chudzinski had Luck for 15 games last season, but it has to be noted that Luck wasn’t healthy at any point because of his right shoulder. The quarterback didn’t practice a full week at any point during the season. That affects any coach’s ability to put together a game plan, no matter if you have Peyton Manning or a third-stringer playing quarterback.

Chudzinski spent the entire offseason and training camp working with Tolzien. But things changed when Brissett was acquired from New England a week before the start of the regular season and then was the team’s starter in Week 2. That meant Chudzinski and quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer trying to get Brissett up to speed in the offense while also planning for their next opponent. The Colts are 3-11 and rank 31st in total offense this season heading into Saturday's visit to Baltimore (8-6).

To no surprise, the offense runs a lot more smoothly when Indianapolis has its franchise quarterback. The Colts are 9-7 with Luck under Chudzinski, 7-15 without him.

"t’s the challenge of it, of putting it together," Chudzinski said. "You look at it and you know, ‘Hey, these are the plays. The plays are there, the things are there, we’ve got great looks at them, these should be excellent.’

"And for different reasons and a variety of reasons, sometimes they don’t work. You give the other team credit. ... We’re working to get better and I see improvement.”