If you zoom in on the photo, the uneven texture of the blue paint on the filter housing looks very suspect...almost looks like someone re-sprayed it with a rattle can, perhaps to cover up existing damage to the canister housing. Looks like there may be some blue paint inside the cavity of the crack itself. It is also conspicuous that there are a couple of dents on the fractured end cap, but no gouged paint except for two small witness marks on the cylindrical part of the can just above the fluted end.
What kind of filter was it? AC Delco? Purolator? Unlabeled generic overseas jobber filter?