PITTSBURGH -- Antonio Brown's message to Michael Vick this week: Let me do my thing.

Brown’s numbers have dipped in two games with Vick at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching nine passes for 87 yards and no scores. That’s usually a half's worth of production between Brown and injured starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Brown understands Vick is trying to run the offense effectively and not make mistakes. Vick has one interception through two games as the starter.

The way Brown sees it, might be time to let it loose.

"He’s got to take some shots," Brown said from his locker Wednesday. "I told him, trust me a little bit. Let me make some plays. Let’s get a victory. It doesn’t have to be that hard."

Brown isn’t a malcontent about it. In fact, he went out of way to say Vick isn’t trying to avoid him, but instead make smart plays. Receiver-quarterback chemistry takes time.

But when Brown connected with a streaking, well-covered Vick on a trick play in practice, causing Steelers players to erupt, Brown said he joked with Vick, "That’s how you throw the ball." Vick and Brown both confirmed the practice connection.

Vick said he has some freedom to call audibles at the line of scrimmage, but hasn’t abused that much because he’s trying to gain a "complete understanding" of the offense since he signed in late August. The Steelers had some one-on-one opportunities with Brown early in the game, but Le'Veon Bell had it rolling in the running game.

Brown has been targeted 15 times in the past two games, compared to 35 times in the first three weeks.

"It’s very important," said Vick about getting Brown the ball. "I’m still working on that. This week we said we’re not going to put an emphasis on it. We’re just going to let everything happen naturally, go out there and play to win, that’s the most important thing ... Trust me, those plays are going to come."