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Even if/when Colts quarterback Andrew Luck gets healthy, there’s no guarantee he’ll stay healthy. Whether that happens depends on whether the offensive line plays better.

Adding guard Quenton Nelson won’t be enough, because it only takes one weak spot on the five-man line to cause the entire thing to crater. Center Ryan Kelly, a first-round pick in 2016, has confidence that things will be better.

“I think we’re just a tough, smart group,” Kelly said, via AL.com. “I think where we were from Day One to where we are now, I think we’ve come a long way. [Offensive line] coach [Dave] DeGuglielmo has been incredible for us, just helping us get along.”

Kelly realizes that the line will need to be able to get it done across the board, in part by ensuring all five 2018 starters stay healthy as long as possible.

“It’s a big formula that goes into it and, obviously, when you don’t have five guys playing together every game, it’s pretty tough,” Kelly said. “It’s one of the most special positions on the field because really all those guys need to be in tune. And if you’re not, you’re going to pay for it.”

The goal is a simple one, even if it’s not easily attained.

“It’s just when a defensive line comes up and they see us walking to the line of scrimmage, they know, ‘OK, these guys are going to pepper us every single time,'” Kelly said. “If it’s that late shove at the end of the game or at the end of the play or whatever it is to protect our wide receivers or our running backs, all that kind of stuff, it just instills a mindset to the entire defense that we’re playing against that ‘Look, these are our guys. We’re going to protect them, and you’re not going to touch them.'”

Eventually, guys like Luck will be touched. The team’s (and the player’s) fate may hinge on whether those touches become more injuries.