It’s often said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. However, if the first impression the NFL made on the television ratings this season in any indication of where they’re headed, Commissioner Roger Goodell is going to ask for a second chance.

Ratings for the NFL’s Hall of Fame game on Thursday night registered a 4.1 in metered markets, an all-time low number for the league’s inaugural preseason game.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, “That’s down about 15 percent from a 4.8 last year — which ended up translating to 6.77 million viewers in the finals, a low for the game that marks the beginning of the league’s preseason slate.”

The NFL managed to stop the bleeding in the ratings department last year, posting a modest rebound in television numbers after two straight years of steep declines. Given that last year’s HOF game also rated badly while the regular season numbers improved, may indicate that the inaugural game in Canton, Ohio, is not a great indicator of the league’s television appeal.

Though, it is the first somewhat meaningful television offering the league provides, and once again, the NFL face planted.

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn