He was watching from home. Safer there.

“If the thing doesn’t turn out well, the one thing about the television is you can turn the damn thing off,’’ Ernie Accorsi told The Post on Monday. “You don’t have to sit there and suffer.’’

The man who brought Eli Manning to New York, the general manager with the conviction to make Manning the Giants franchise quarterback, trading with the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft, knows all about introductions and exits. He so fervently wanted Manning to go out the right way, not on the bench, not getting picked off the turf, not trudging off the field in a losing performance.

“First of all, I don’t know what’s going to happen but I wanted him so badly to finish with a good game,’’ Accorsi said. “You know me and sports history. To me, it’s always Ted Williams, hit a home run and goodbye. You always want to see something like that for a player who’s meant so much to his franchise.’’

There were some good throws by Manning in the first half Sunday but the Giants trailed the Dolphins 10-7 at halftime and certainly nothing was guaranteed. After all, the Giants came into the game on a nine-game losing streak. Still, Accorsi had faith.

“I knew they weren’t playing the ’62 Packers,’’ he said. “I knew there was a chance he was going to play pretty well. Except for the interceptions he threw the ball well all day, I thought.’’

It all worked out. By the time Manning with 1:50 remaining was summoned off the field to a rousing salute from the fans at MetLife Stadium, the Giants were on their way to a 36-20 victory.

“It’s funny,’’ Accorsi said. “Everybody stereotypes you. I’m an Italian but I’m not an emotional guy. I don’t cry at funerals. I don’t cry. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel terrible about things but I’m not a crier, never have been. But I have to say I welled up when they cheered him off the field. I just felt so good he was able to get that, if that was his last game, that he was able to finish his career, at home at least, that way. Winning the game, which means the most to him anyway.

“I felt pretty nostalgic. This guy deserved that, because he had really been quite a soldier here.

“This guy shows up, controversial trade, goes to work, doesn’t ever embarrass the organization, shows up, plays every game, wins two championships, gets benched twice and never changes, never does anything to react to that and now he can walk away with class. What more can you ask when you go out and draft a player?’’

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