If you only rant the engine for 30s it's doubtful you were very far out of the after start enrichments, and definitely running rich because the engine is cold. I wouldn't read too far into it...
Replacing the fuel filter could have fixed some serious running issues, but the FPR would keep the rails at 43.5psi (or whatever it wants) even with a leaky injector. Replacing the fuel filter wouldn't make the rails run at a higher pressure, causing the injector to leak more.
However... getting a piece of crud into a fuel line after replacing the filter could do it...
When I say wet, I mean drop formation on the tip. This is a Ford returnless system. No regulator on the rail. It has what looks to be a regulator, with a vac line and everything, but this is a common misconception.
Since it's returnless, you would hear the fuel pump pressure pulses whack at the dead end of the fuel rail. So ford puts a spring loaded diaphragm unit to absorb that noise. It looks just like the vac regulators used on the older return type systems. The reason for the vacuum line is safety. If the diaphragm or o-ring were to fail (which does happen), then the raw fuel would be drawn into the engine and burned harmlessly instead of creating an engine bay fire.
The fuel pump has an internal bleed valve in-tank that is set at the factory. The pump produces the same in-tank pressure no matter what. Any obstruction outside of the tank must be compensated for with injector pulse width. There is no changing or regulating of pressure in a returnless system because you cannot bleed pressure back to the tank.