The weather may be wintry in the Northeast but Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel’s relationship has never been icy.

Mangini and Crennel lead their respective teams, the Jets and the Browns, into the Meadowlands this afternoon for a 4:15 EST kickoff. But last summer, Mangini was a guest of the Crennel family when they celebrated Romeo’s 60th birthday.

“He was surprised. I think he thought he was getting a new car when they blindfolded him,” Mangini said. “I don't know if he was disappointed or happy when he realized that it was just us, but his family did a great job with the party. It was what you would expect from any event with him and his family — it was just a very fun, warm party celebrating a great guy.”

During his conference call with the Jets media this week, Crennel shared a similar account of the event. He recalled asking his daughter if he was getting a new car, but the background noise told him it was something else.

“By that time we were there and I got out of the car and heard voices,” Crennel said. “I said, ‘There are a lot more voices here than family.’ Then I took the blindfold off and saw everybody.”

Just who will surprise whom today? Mangini, in his second-year at the Jets’ helm, has his team playing its best ball of the season despite being removed from playoff contention. Crennel, now in his third season as head coach in Cleveland, has the surprising Browns in the AFC playoff mix at 7-5.

“One thing you know about Romeo is he's going to consistently have his team moving forward,” Mangini said.

Before the coaches reached this point, they worked on the same defensive staffs both with the Jets (1997-99) and then up in New England (2001-04). Mangini was a young defensive assistant under Jets head coach Bill Parcells and Crennel tutored the defensive line. The defensive staff was as gifted as they come with Bill Belichick the architect and Al Groh instructing the linebackers.

“He was great during that time when I was really learning the defense. He was a guy that I'd go to with questions on the front and questions on the secondary,” said Mangini of Crennel. “It was me, Bill, Rac and Al, and those guys had been in the system for years. They were always drawing on their Giants experiences. I had seen the Giants games but from my living room. They had experienced them. But he was always very patient and helpful.”

“He put in some late nights, I put in some late nights, and we would talk football and help each other through different projects,” Crennel said. “The friendship just kind of grew.”

Then when Crennel received the defensive coordinator position with the Pats, Mangini was his defensive backs coach.

“He was great to game-plan with, to spend time with," Mangini acknowledged. "And when you spend as much time as you do with the assistant coaches, it can be tough. It's like a submarine sometimes. But he's a guy that you were always glad to be able to go and work with day in and day out.”

Their bond strengthened in New England when Romeo and his wife, Rosemary, were having a home built and Mangini offered up his guest room. The Crennels accepted and ended up living with Eric and his wife, Julie, for four months.

“Eric and I were able to ride into work together a lot of times,” Crennel said.

The Browns hired Crennel as their head coach in 2005 and he wanted to bring Mangini along as his defensive coordinator. But Belichick promoted Mangini to fill Rac's vacancy.

“He’s smart, he’s adaptable, he can adjust to things that happen on the field and he’s good at putting a game plan together,” Crennel said of Mangini. “He knows the strengths and weaknesses of offenses and defenses, and he’s good with players.”

Last October, in their first meeting as head coaches, the Browns edged the Jets, 20-13. But that contest was decided along the shores of Lake Erie and today’s game will be along the Jersey swamps.

While both men are great competitors, the winner won’t get any satisfaction from handing his friend a loss. They cheer for each other but the lines of communication were not entirely open this week. A reporter asked Mangini if he had called Crennel and asked him how to stop his dangerous receiving duo of Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow.

“You know, he wasn't available when I tried to call,” said a smiling Mangini. “I don't know why. This is one week that he's out.”

This week certainly was an exception to the rule. Theirs is a relationship that transcends football.

“He’s a good guy behind the scenes. He’s fun-loving, he enjoys a good laugh and a good meal,” Crennel said. “He’s like I am and that’s why we get along so well.”

No matter the outcome, the embrace will be warm after this one.