RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll labels every game “a championship opportunity,” a tactic he is sticking with as the Seahawks prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

If the Seahawks are to have any opportunity at a championship this season, though, then Sunday’s game is just about a must-win.

The Seahawks, at 6-4, trail 9-1 Arizona by three games with six to play — including a Sunday night game in Arizona on Dec. 21.

In other words, there’s little realistic hope at a repeat NFC West title without beating the Cardinals on Sunday, and then again next month.

This is also the beginning of a stretch of five games in six weeks against NFC West foes — including two each against the Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers.

“There’s a lot out there,” Carroll said. “We know we have to do it one week at a time and with Arizona starting and that’s the only game in the world that matters. I think it’s a really cool time of the year.”

The question now is how ready will the Seahawks be for the task.

It was Arizona that dealt Seattle what at the time was the most surprising defeat of the 2013 season, a 17-10 loss at CenturyLink Field on Dec. 22.

At the time, the game looked like just a blip on the radar. But now, with Arizona having become the team to beat in the NFC West, it looks like a game that might have been a changing of the guard.

Arizona held Seattle to 103 yards rushing in the game and 89 passing with Russell Wilson going 11 of 27 for 108 yards and a 49.6 passer rating that ranks as among the lowest of his career.

The Cardinals particularly unnerved the Seahawks with a blitzing defense that sacked Wilson four times and kept him under pressure all game.

Carroll expects more of the same Sunday.

“They are very aggressive,” Carroll said. “They cover very aggressively, very tight, they have really good corners, so they can get away with their one-on-ones and their zero-coverage blitz that they throw at you and so they make it real tough there.”

Seattle also expects to see an Arizona team that will try to get the run going even if it isn’t having much success. Arizona ranks 175h in the NFL in run percentage at 41 percent despite ranking 30th in yards at 79.8.

If nothing else, that tends to shorten the game and keep it in the hands of the Arizona defense.

“They’re a committed run team,” Carroll said. “They’ve run the ball a lot. Not for a lot of yards, but they’re really committed to continue to run it. We admire that.”

The Cardinals will also look to use the run to set up deep passes to the likes of receivers John Brown, Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, the latter of whom caught a 31-yard touchdown pass to beat the Seahawks in Seattle last year.

“They’ve also been very committed to throw the ball down the field,” Carroll said. “They’ve got very good receivers and a really fast guy, John Brown. Can’t get any better than Larry (Fitzgerald) and Michael Floyd is a big threat, we know.

So they use those guys and they’re not at all hesitant with (Drew) Stanton and go ahead and check it and see if he can make the big plays on you. It’s a nice mixture of attack from both sides of the ball. You can really feel their attitude.”

Seattle has put itself in a dire situation, in terms of the division, by going 3-3 since a 3-1 start, including last Sunday’s 24-20 loss at Kansas City.

But Seattle players insist their confidence hasn’t wavered.

“I don’t feel desperate,” cornerback Richard Sherman said. “We’re going to go out there. It’s another division opponent, so we’re very familiar with one another and it’ll be a fun game.”

NOTES: RB Marshawn Lynch (back) did not practice Wednesday. … MLB Bobby Wagner, who missed five games with a torn ligament in his toe, practiced Wednesday and might be back on the field Sunday against Arizona. … OL James Carpenter (ankle) practiced in a limited fashion. … Lemuel Jeanpierre, the team’s backup center the last three years before being waived in September with an injury settlement (stingers), was re-signed Tuesday. He may not start Sunday, with Patrick Lewis possibly to get the call, but he adds depth with starter Max Unger out at least 3-4 weeks with ankle and knee injuries and backup Stephen Schilling (knee) out for the season.