No, that thing is your fuel filter...
This is the EGR valve. (The air intake has been removed.)
Odds are that a rubber vacuum hose going to the valve is rotted which is quite common and is an easy fix. The valve itself rarely goes bad. To test it, put a hose on the nipple (hose remove in this pic) and suck hard on it. The engine should gasp and die if the valve is good and the passages are clear.
